Principles of Macroeconomics

Syllabus
Fall 2022

Online (asynchronous)
Day/Time: Online- no ‘synchronous’ meetings CRN: 41162
Location: Online

Instructor information
Dr. Eric Malm
Office Hours: M/W 1:30-5:30, T 12-2:00 (Douglas), R 9:30-10:30, Sierra Vista Room 717A or by
Zoom, or by appointment. Please email me in advance to schedule a Zoom meeting.
Email address: [email protected]
Phone: 520-515-5330

Course information
● Description:
Principles of Macroeconomics: A broad overview of the national and international
macroeconomy. The course focuses on the study of total supply and demand as
applied to the macroeconomic problems of unemployment, inflation, and economic
growth. Specific areas of study will include national income accounting, fiscal policy,
monetary policy, and international trade theory.

 Textbook and resources

Principles of Macroeconomics, Version 4, By Libby Rittenberg, Alan Grant, and
Timothy Tregarthen Published: 2021
ISBN (Digital): 978-1-4533-3903-9

Student Link: https://students.flatworldknowledge.com/course/2596669

Course Learning Outcomes: (and mapping to Gen Ed Outcomes)

Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:

1. Use the production possibilities model to illustrate the concepts of opportunity

cost, scarcity and choice. (2,3,4)
2. Show how changes in various factors impact supply and demand, using the
model to predict changes in market price and quantity. (2,3,4)
3. Analyze changes in the unemployment rate, Consumer Price Index and GDP. (1,
2,3,4)
4. Predict the likely impact of fiscal and monetary policy applying the Aggregate
Supply/Aggregate Demand framework. (2,3,4)

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 5. Apply the supply and demand framework to financial markets and foreign
exchange markets, showing how changes in interest rates and exchange rates
impact GDP. (2, 3, 4)
6. Use economic models to analyze and critique a current economic issue in writing.
(1, 2, 4, 5)

 General Education Learning Outcomes

1. Students will be able to demonstrate information literacy: locate, evaluate and
properly cite sources to communicate information effectively and accomplish a
specific purpose.
2. Students will be able to demonstrate observational skills, including (a) data
collection, (b) presentation of data, (c) interpretation of data (drawing
inferences), and (d) error analysis.
3. Students will be able to use function notation, interpret math models, and
demonstrate graphing skills.
4. Students will be able to analyze and solve application problems. Students will
recognize insufficient/extraneous information.
5. Students will be able to demonstrate critical reasoning: (a) precise terminology,
(b) development of concepts from data, and (c) application of concepts/formulas
through completion of lab reports or experimental research projects.

Instructor Policies
 Grading

The assignments and associated number of points are listed in the table below.

Item Number Points Total

Quizzes 15 10 150
Exams 4 100 400
Worksheets 6 10 60
News Summary 1 25 25
Country Paper 1 100 100
Country Paper Revision 1 25 25
Issue Discussion Posts 14 3
(extra credit)
Video Lectures 14 5 70
*'Free Pass' 2 -10 -20
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Moodle Gradebook Note: The Moodle gradebook will display to total points earned at
any point in the semester, along with the total possible points for the ENTIRE semester.
For example, after completing the syllabus quiz the gradebook should show 10 out of
approximately 800 points (or about 1%). To calculate your current grade first total up
the number of possible points, and divide your total points by that number.

Final grades will be calculated using the Cochise College criteria, as listed below.

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Grade Percent

A 90% or above

B 80% to 89%

C 70% to 79%

D 60% to 69%

F Below 60%
*Note: business students must get a C or higher

 Writing
This is a writing-intensive course. As such, you are required to complete 4,000 words
of written work. In this course you will complete a 500 word News Summary and a
3500 word Country Paper (with a required revision).

 Writing Support
A primary objective for ALL students is to use the assignments and feedback to help
improve your writing skills.

Cochise College has a writing support center that you can contact through:
https://www.cochise.edu/tutoring/writing/

 Attendance Policy
Active participation means you should keep up with the Video Lectures, Quizzes,
Country assignments and other work. College policy provides for the withdraw of
students who have excessive absences.
Being dropped from class may have an adverse impact on your financial aid, both
this semester and in the future.

 Technical Support
As an all-online course, technical support issues may arise from time to time.
For issues related to Moodle or Respondus, please contact the school help desk at
[email protected].
For issues related to the Flatworld Knowledge textbook or textbook quizzes, please
contact [email protected].

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 Late Coursework
Assignments must be turned in on time to receive full credit. Chapter Quizzes must
be completed by the due date. No late quizzes will be accepted.

 Proctored exams
Exams in this course will be given using the Respondus Lockdown Browser and
Monitor. All exams are ‘closed book’. Students may not access outside resources
(including notes or other websites) during the exam. A Practice Exam is posted on
Moodle that will allow you to log into the system and confirm that Respondus Monitor
functions properly on your computer.

● Respondus Lockdown Browser + Monitor: A web browser that prevents

internet searches and other common computer tasks during testing and
records audio and video of the student during the testing.

Watch the student introduction video and download the program. You won't
be able to access the exam with a standard web browser.

For additional details on using LockDown Browser, review the Student Quick
Start Guide (PDF)

● Cochise College Testing Centers: Free for Cochise College students, but only
available during the center’s hours. Does not use webcam and microphone,
but does use Respondus Lockdown Browser to prevent internet Searches.

● Discussion forums and netiquette for online classes

In an online class, it is important to be aware of how your words are perceived.
Cursing or other offensive language in forum posts will not be tolerated.

You can read more about Netiquette and student expectations in the Moodle Student
Resource Center.

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Class schedule- (subject to change)
Assignments are posted each Monday, with work being due the following Sunday night.
Week Available Due Chapter Homework
0 8/15 8/21 Intro post, syllabus quiz
1 8/22 8/28 Chapter 1: Economics the Country Post 1
Study of Choice Chapter 1 Quiz
2 8/29 9/4 Chapter 2: Confronting WS1: Comparative
Scarcity: Choices in Advantage
Production Chapter 2 Quiz
Census taken
3 9/5 9/11 Chapter 3: Demand and WS2: Major Markets
Supply Chapter 3 Quiz
4 9/12 9/18 Chapter 4: Applications of Chapter 4 Quiz
Demand and Supply
9/14 9/18 Exam One (chapters 1-4) News Summary Due
5 9/19 9/25 Chapter 5: Intro to the WS 3: GDP
Macroeconomy: Measuring Chapter 5 Quiz
Output
6 9/26 10/2 Chapter 6: The Price Level Chapter 6 Quiz
and Inflation
7 10/3 10/9 Chapter 7: Unemployment WS4: Unemployment
Chapter 7 Quiz
10/6 10/9 Exam Two (chapters 5-7)
8 10/10 10/16 Chapter 8: Aggregate County Paper Due
Demand and Supply Chapter 8 Quiz
9 10/17 10/23 Chapter 9: Economic Growth Chapter 9 Quiz
WS 5: AS/AD
10 10/24 10/30 Chapter 10: The Nature and Chapter 10 Quiz
Creation of Money
11 10/31 11/6 Chapter 11: Financial WS 6: Exchange Rates
Markets and the Economy Chapter 11 Quiz
12 11/7 11/13 Chapter 12: Monetary Policy Chapter 12 Quiz
and the Fed
13 11/14 11/20 Chapter 13: Government and Chapter 13 Quiz
Fiscal Policy
11/17 11/20 Exam Three (Ch 8 -13)
14 11/21 11/27 Thanksgiving Country Paper Revision
15 11/28 12/4 Chapter 17: Government and Chapter 17 Quiz
Fiscal Policy
A Brief History of Macro
Thought and Policy
12/5 12/11 Final Exam (Cumulative)
Calendar subject to revision.

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Class Information:

EDUCATIONAL METHOD: This is an online class. There are no ‘live’ classes.

COURSE ORGANIZATION IN MOODLE: Within each weekly Moodle folder you’ll find content broken
down into several sections (to help making navigating the course easier).

Required Items: This section will include all of the Required Items for the week, including the
graded items you are responsible for completing.

Current Issues: Along with each chapter I will post an article, video, or other item that connects
the week’s topic with a current issue in the news or in society. ‘Economics is everywhere’ and I
hope you’ll be intrigued (at least sometimes!) by these issues. Along with the Current Issues item
there will be a discussion post available for you to respond to the post. These discussion posts
are EXTRA CREDIT, with a maximum of 3 points per week.

Additional Resources: This section contains a variety of videos, worksheet, and weblinks
designed to help you better understand the chapter content. This material is not required (nor
graded), but is there for your benefit.

Critical Skills: Aligned with each of the Learning Outcomes you’ll see a set of Critical Skills
Assessment. These activities are designed to give you practice (and receive feedback) on the
core content for the course.

QUIZZES:

An online quiz will be assigned for each chapter and must be completed during the week in which the
material is covered. Students will take the quiz online (through Moodle) and can attempt the quiz up to
three times. Students will receive the highest grade they achieve for each quiz. Quizzes count for 10
points each and cannot be made up, so be sure to keep up with them.

COUNTRY RESEARCH: During the semester each student will study a country of their choice,
completing research assignments and worksheets about their country’s economy. By comparing and
contrasting ‘your country’ with the US economy, you will gain a deeper understanding of our core
economic concepts. Students will complete a series of homework worksheets in which they practice
applying terms and concepts using numbers from ‘their country’.

Worksheet 1: Comparative Advantage

Worksheet 2: Major Markets

Worksheet 3: GDP

Worksheet 4: Unemployment and Inflation

Worksheet 5: AS and AD

Worksheet 6: Exchange Rates

READING & PARTICIPATION:

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You are expected to read the indicated chapters from the text each week and do the assigned work. You
should be actively engaged with online activities and discussions. I encourage you to join me for Zoom
office hours to talk through specific questions you may have.

COMMUNICATION:

Outside of class time, email will be an essential communications method. I will periodically post important
announcements on Moodle, which will also go to your Cochise email. And if you need to contact me,
email is usually the best way.

EXTRA HELP:

If you have questions or need extra help, please don’t hesitate to ask me.

Covid-19 Policy
Cochise College does not require students, faculty, staff, or visitors to get a COVID-19
vaccination or wear masks on college property or classrooms. Considering the continued
infection rates, we ask the campus community to do its part to keep healthy and safe.

While the college does not require you to be vaccinated or to wear masks, we encourage you to
be vaccinated if you can receive the vaccine, wear masks indoors and frequently wash your
hands. These precautions are known to be effective in reducing the spread of COVID-19.

For information about vaccination locations go to www.vaccines.gov/

In some learning laboratory and simulation settings, you will be required to wear the appropriate
personal protective equipment necessary to prepare you for the workplace.

All members of the Cochise College community are asked to report a COVID-19 diagnosis or if
you have had close contact with someone who tests positive. Prompt reporting is essential to
allow proper contact tracing as well as help limit the potential spread of the virus.

We want to assure you that Cochise College will continue with enhanced cleaning/disinfecting of
surfaces and workspaces.

For any questions or concerns please reach out to Ben Wilson, Director of Risk Management,
at (520) 515-5455 or [email protected].

Note to VA/ Grant Students:

If you miss three consecutive classes without instructor notification and approval, the
VA office of Cochise College will be so notified and you will be dropped from the class. The
effective date for reporting purposes will be the date of the last day of contact before the week.
For online students, two weeks without being active online.(not just logging in).       (YOU can
put your words here)
 

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 Communication and Grades: It is your responsibility to communicate with your instructor
regarding your progress in class.  You should check weekly to confirm that your grades are
posted correctly and notify your instructor immediately via email if you have not received proper
credit for assignments completed.  If you do not withdrawal from the class before the last day to
withdraw, a letter grade will be issued. (By Cochise College policy).
 
Cochise College provides accessible educational opportunities that are responsive to a diverse
population and lead to constructive citizenship, meaningful careers, and lifelong learning.
 
Security, Contact Information: If there is an emergency on campus, a family member will be
able to speak to the security personnel directly instead of the college answering system.

Security telephone #: 515-5470 or

Cell telephone #: 249-1957
 
College Policies
·         Email
Cochise College email is the official means of communication. I will use my Cochise College
email to contact you, and, therefore, expect the same from you. Emails sent to me from other
email providers will not receive a reply.
·         Incomplete grades (Policy 3004.4)
A grade of I (incomplete) indicates that the student failed to complete all course requirements
for a reason approved by the instructor and academic dean.  The grade should be used only for
a student who is passing the course and who needs to complete 20% or less of the course
activities.  The student must complete all work specified in the Incomplete Grade Contract within
the succeeding semester or the Registrar will change the I to an F on the permanent record.
 
Only rarely is an Incomplete grade (I) approved for a course. If you have a justifiable reason, are
unable to complete the current semester, and have successfully completed at least 80% of the
course work, an Incomplete grade may be approved. The (I) grade will allow you to finish the
course the following semester based on the terms stated in the Incomplete Grade Contract.
However, do not ask for an (I) grade simply because you failed to keep up with your work during
the class.

·         Academic dishonesty
Cochise College does not tolerate academic dishonesty in any form. By Policy 3010, Cochise
College may impose various sanctions as a result of academic dishonesty, up to and including
suspension and expulsion. If a student commits an act of academic dishonesty, any or all of the
following penalties may be imposed: written or verbal warning, loss of credit for the work
involved, reduction in your final grade, or assigning a failing grade for the course. It may also be
recommended to the college administration that you be further sanctioned by removal from this
class or even by expulsion from the college.
 

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Academic dishonesty consists of many forms of unethical academic conduct, including, but not
limited to, cheating, fabrication, plagiarism and facilitating academic dishonesty.
1. Cheating means intentionally using or attempting to use unauthorized materials, information
or study aids, as well as unauthorized devices such as cell phones and other technology.
2. Fabrication means intentional falsification of any information or citation.
3. Plagiarism means intentionally or knowingly representing the words or ideas of another as
one's own.
4. Facilitating academic dishonesty means intentionally or knowingly helping another to commit
an act of academic dishonesty.
5. Other forms of academic dishonesty include:
a. Submitting work to more than one instructor for credit without disclosure and approval.
b. Knowingly violating the terms of any academic sanction imposed for an earlier violation of this
policy.

FERPA/ADA/Title IX Statement
Cochise College provides accessible learning opportunities for students in compliance with the
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA),
the ADA Amendments Act of 2008, Section 504 of the Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1973,
and Title IX.  Student records access, reportability and request for reasonable
accommodations are outlined in the Policy 4009 and Policy 4005.
 
Students needing accommodations can contact the Office of Disability Services for more
information and additional assistance.

News Summary Assignment: (25 points)

In this assignment you will use the Library Database to locate a recent newspaper article that
has something to do with the economy of the country you are studying. The assignment should
be 500 words in length and contain the following sections:

A. Summary of the Article: What is the article about?

B. Economic Aspects: Describe the economic aspects of the article.
C. Significance. In this section please describe why the issue is significant to you, or to the
people of the country you are studying.
D. Article Citation and Link

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Country Paper:
A 3,500 word Country Paper will be due later in the semester. The paper will build upon the
research you do for the Country Worksheets, and will ask you to analyze a current economic
issue within the context of your country.

This semester, you will write a paper comparing Health Care and Education Policy in the
country you are studying with the policies and outcomes we have here in the US.

Section 1: Country Comparison

In this section you’ll provide an overall comparison between the country you are studying and
the US. This section may include information about standard of living, life expectancy, average
incomes, and the types of jobs in the economy. Be sure to go beyond ‘just reporting statistics’,
and try to determine key ways the countries are similar and different. This section will help
create context for the rest of your paper. For example, Haiti and the US are very different
economies, and so it is natural that Health Care and Education Policy would be significantly
different. The US and Canada, on the other hand, are similar economically, so your policy
analysis will likely need to focus on more subtle differences.

Section 2: Health Care Comparisons

In this section you’ll compare the health care systems within both countries. Is health care
provided by the government, or through the private market? Are hospitals and clinics privately
run, or government run? How much money (as a percent of GDP) is spent on health care in
each country? How do health care outcomes (such as life expectancy, infant mortality, disease)
compare?

Section 3: Education Comparisons

In this section you’ll compare the education systems (both K-12 and Higher Education) within
both countries. Is education provided by the government, or through private markets? What is
the average level of educational attainment? Do most people follow the same educational path?
Or is the system designed to route people into different trades and specialties early in the
process? How do education outcomes (such as literacy rates, percent of people graduating from
high school or college) compare? Does the country’s educational system adequately prepare
citizens for available jobs?

Section 4: Assessing Policy Differences

In this concluding section you’ll compare and contrast Health and Educational policies within the
two countries. Do their systems seem to do a good job meeting the needs of people? How do
policy differences reflect differences in national priorities, or cultural differences? Is the role of
government similar or different? Do the systems provide widely-accessible and affordable health
and education? Are there lessons that one country could learn from the other?

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Grading Guide- Country Paper

Content Areas

Section 1: Country Comparison 20 points

In this section you need to do more than just present random statistics about each country. A quality
paper will focus on the most meaningful ways in which the two countries are similar (or different). An
excellent paper will ‘synthesize’ the information, not just separately presenting information, but
showing key similarities and differences.

Section 2: Health Care Comparisons 20 points

In this section you need to do more than just present random statistics about each country. A quality
paper will focus on the most meaningful ways in which the two countries are similar (or different). An
excellent paper will ‘synthesize’ the information, not just separately presenting information, but
showing key similarities and differences.

Section 3: Education Comparisons 20 points

In this section you need to do more than just present random statistics about each country. A quality
paper will focus on the most meaningful ways in which the two countries are similar (or different). An
excellent paper will ‘synthesize’ the information, not just separately presenting information, but
showing key similarities and differences.

Section 4: Assessing Policy Differences 20 points

In this section you need to do more than just present random statistics about each country. A quality
paper will focus on the most meaningful ways in which the two countries are similar (or different). An
excellent paper will ‘synthesize’ the information, not just separately presenting information, but
showing key similarities and differences.

Writing: 10 points

You should not only follow standard writing conventions, but your writing should connect major themes
throughout the paper. The score in this section will also reflect the ways in which you have used charts
and tables to highlight comparative information.

Annotated Bibliography: 10 points

You should have at least 6 quality sources, which you should describe using an Annotated Bibliography.

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