Administration

April 15, 2008

Revised Schedule for Econ 101b: Post-Spring Break

March 31: Markets for "Lemons"

Notes: Lecture Audio. Adverse Selection in Lending Markets.

Readings:

April 2: Models of Financial Crises

Notes: Lecture Audio
Readings: David Greenlaw (Morgan Stanley), Jan Hatzius (Goldman Sachs), Anil Kashyap (Chicago GSB) and Hyun Shin (2008), "Leveraged Losses Lessons from the Mortgage Market Meltdown" http://www.chicagogsb.edu/usmpf/docs/usmpf2008confdraft.pdf

April 4: Ways of Dealing with Financial Crises

Lecture Audio
Readings:

Problem set: Adverse selection and financial markets. Clean Version

Memo: Midterm 2 Grading Scale

April 7: How Are We Dealing with This Financial Crisis?

Notes: Lecture Audio http://delong.typepad.com/berkeley_econ_101b_spring/2008/04/what-we-are-doi.html

April 9: What Should We Be Doing in This Financial Crisis that We Are Not?

Notes: Lecture Audio: http://www.j-bradford-delong.net/2008_MOV/20080409_123925.mp3

Readings:

April 11: International Finance and "Global Imbalances": Introduction

Notes: Lecture Audio http://www.j-bradford-delong.net/2008_mov/20080411_091301.mp3

Readings:

April 14: Risks of International Financial Crisis

Notes:

Readings:

April 16: Risks of International Financial Crisis II

April 21: Why Is Asia Gambling on Bretton Woods II?

Notes: Slides: http://delong.typepad.com/delongslides/2008/04/econ-101b-april.html; Lecture Audio: http://www.j-bradford-delong.net/2008_mov/20080421_091146.mp3

Readings:

April 23: The Chinese Economy

Notes: Slides: http://delong.typepad.com/delongslides/2008/04/econ-101b-april.html; Lecture Audio: http://www.j-bradford-delong.net/2008_mov/20080423_091349.mp3

Readings:

April 25: Long-Run Growth Revisited: Endogenous Growth

Notes: Lecture Audio; “Infant Industries,” Industrial Policy, and Development in a Model of Productive Variety http://www.j-bradford-delong.net/2008_pdf/20080424_industrial_policy.pdf

Readings:

April 30: "Conservative" Central Bankers

Notes: Lecture Audio

Readings:

May 2: The Long-Run Fiscal Situation

Notes: Lecture Audio

Readings:

May 5: The Long-Run Fiscal Situation: Theory and Practice

Notes: Lecture Audio

Readings:

May 7: The Long-Run Fiscal Situation: Theory and Practice II

Notes: Lecture Audio; Solow and Ramsey

May 9: "Applications" Exam

May 12: Review

May 14: Review

May 16: FINAL EXAM 8-11 277 Cory

January 22, 2008

Schedule and Readings

Schedule and Readings

Brad DeLong: delong@econ.berkeley.edu: 925 708 0467: W 2-4 Evans 601, M 1:30-2 Evans 601
Marc Gersen: mgersen@econ.berkeley.edu: aim:mgersen08: 510-541-2326: ??

  • Lecture: 247 Cory 9-10 AM M, W, and most F
  • Section: MW 8-9 AM 237 Cory
  • Section: WF 11-12 AM 61 Evans
  • Section: ??

Introduction

W Jan 23: INTRODUCTION: The Problems of Macroeconomics



Theory (with Examples and Illustrations)

The Long Run: Economic Growth

F Jan 25: The Solow Model: Capital and Equilibrium

M Jan 28: The Solow Model: Dynamics and Feedback

W Jan 30: How Much of Today's World Can We Explain with the Solow Growth Model?

F Feb 1: Current Events

  • Problem Set 2 out (due Fed 8)

M Feb 4: From Malthus to Modernity

W Feb 6: Understanding the Industrial Revolution

F Feb 8: Current Events

M Feb 11: Measuring Economic Growth

W Feb 13: The Productivity Slowdown of the 1970s

F Feb 15: PROFESSORIAL REALITY CHECK EXAM Midterm I Summary


The Medium Run: Economic Fluctuations with Flexible Prices

W Feb 20: Components of Aggregate Demand

F Feb 22: Full-Employment Equilibrium

M Feb 25: The International Side--Plus Government Budgets and Investment Booms

W Feb 27: The Monetary Side: The Quantity Theory of Money, Inflation, and Expectations

F Feb 29: Quantity Theory Continued; Current Events


The Short Run: Economic Fluctuations with Sticky Prices

M Mar 3: Sticky Prices and Aggregate Demand

W Mar 5: The IS Curve and Employment

F Mar 7: What happened this week in the macroeconomy?

M Mar 10: CLASS CANCELLED--PROFESSOR SICK

W Mar 12: The Phillips Curve, Inflation, and Monetary Policy

F Mar 14: Tying Up the Short-Run and the Medium Run

F Mar 14: What happened this week in the macroeconomy?

M Mar 17: Loose Ends

  • Notes: Core Theory Loose Ends

W Mar 19: CORE THEORY EXAM

  • Problem Set out (due Apr 7) Stabilization Policy and Central Banking

APPLICATIONS

March 31: Markets for "Lemons"

Notes: Lecture Audio. Adverse Selection in Lending Markets.

Readings:

April 2: Models of Financial Crises

Notes: Lecture Audio
Readings: David Greenlaw (Morgan Stanley), Jan Hatzius (Goldman Sachs), Anil Kashyap (Chicago GSB) and Hyun Shin (2008), "Leveraged Losses Lessons from the Mortgage Market Meltdown" http://www.chicagogsb.edu/usmpf/docs/usmpf2008confdraft.pdf

April 4: Ways of Dealing with Financial Crises

Lecture Audio
Readings:

Problem set: Adverse selection and financial markets. Clean Version

Memo: Midterm 2 Grading Scale

April 7: How Are We Dealing with This Financial Crisis?

Notes: Lecture Audio http://delong.typepad.com/berkeley_econ_101b_spring/2008/04/what-we-are-doi.html

April 9: What Should We Be Doing in This Financial Crisis that We Are Not?

Notes: Lecture Audio: http://www.j-bradford-delong.net/2008_MOV/20080409_123925.mp3

Readings:

April 11: International Finance and "Global Imbalances": Introduction

Notes: Lecture Audio http://www.j-bradford-delong.net/2008_mov/20080411_091301.mp3

Readings:

April 14: Risks of International Financial Crisis

Notes:

Readings:

April 16: Risks of International Financial Crisis II

April 21: Why Is Asia Gambling on Bretton Woods II?

Notes: Slides: http://delong.typepad.com/delongslides/2008/04/econ-101b-april.html; Lecture Audio: http://www.j-bradford-delong.net/2008_mov/20080421_091146.mp3

Readings:

April 23: The Chinese Economy

Notes: Slides: http://delong.typepad.com/delongslides/2008/04/econ-101b-april.html; Lecture Audio: http://www.j-bradford-delong.net/2008_mov/20080423_091349.mp3

Readings:

April 25: Long-Run Growth Revisited: Endogenous Growth

Notes: Lecture Audio; “Infant Industries,” Industrial Policy, and Development in a Model of Productive Variety http://www.j-bradford-delong.net/2008_pdf/20080424_industrial_policy.pdf

Readings:

April 30: "Conservative" Central Bankers

Notes: Lecture Audio

Readings:

May 2: The Long-Run Fiscal Situation

Notes: Lecture Audio

Readings:

May 5: The Long-Run Fiscal Situation: Theory and Practice

Notes: Lecture Audio

Readings:

May 7: The Long-Run Fiscal Situation: Theory and Practice II

Notes: Lecture Audio; Solow and Ramsey

May 9: "Applications" Exam

May 12: Review

May 14: Review

May 16: FINAL EXAM 8-11 277 Cory






DROPPED AND REPLACED...

Applications (with Additional Theory)

Domestic Monetary and Fiscal Policies

M Mar 31: Stabilization Policy since WWII

  • Macroeconomics, review 10.3, review 12.4, 13, 14.1, 16.1-16.4

W Apr 2: Should Conservatives Be Central Bankers? * Notes: Central Bankers: Stabilizers, Credible Inflation-Fighters, and Lenders of Last Resort * Central Bank Consistency and Credibility: The Analytics * Macroeconomics, review 13.6, review 13.7

F Apr 4: What happened this week in the macroeconomy?

M Apr 7: Looking Back at the Great Depression: What Went So Wrong?

  • Macroeconomics, 16.3, 16.5
  • Notes on the Great Depression
  • Notes on Liquidity Traps
  • Problem Set out (due Apr 14) Credit Channels

W Apr 9: Is There a Political Business Cycle?

  • Macroeconomics, review 13.6

F Apr 11: What happened this week in the macroeconomy?

M Apr 14: U.S. Long-Run Budget Balance

W Apr 16: "Fixing" Social Security

  • Notes on Social Security

F Apr 18: What happened this week in the macroeconomy?


Growth and Distribution

M Apr 21: Productivity Speed-Ups and Slow-Downs

W Apr 23: U.S. Income Distribution

  • Notes: American Income Distribution

F Apr 25: What happened this week in the macroeconomy?

M Apr 28: European Youth and Structural Unemployment

  • Macroeconomics, 16.5
  • Notes: The Western European Macroeconomy
  • Web Assignment out (due May 5) Behavioral Finance

Domestic and International Finance

W Apr 30: "Animal Spirits": Understanding the Stock and Real Estate Markets

F May 2: What happened this week in the macroeconomy?

M May 5: Global Imbalances

W May 7: APPLICATIONS EXAM



Summary and Review

F May 9: What happened this week in the macroeconomy?

  • Web Assignment out (due May 16) Feedback and Recommendations

M May 12: FINAL REVIEW

F May 16: FINAL EXAM 8-11

Notes for First Lecture: Administration

Course website: available through http://bspace.berkeley.edu or http://delong.typepad.com/berkeley_econ_101b_spring/

This is a go-faster do-more course--intended for people who would be bored in Economics 100b (and, I think, not nearly enough people take it). The curve will be high--the idea is that nobody should get a grade lower than they would have gotten in Econ 100b. You will, however, work harder. And the harder you all work, the higher will be the median grade in the class.

Basics:

  • Daily in-class reaction feedback (40)--what was confusing/boring/interesting about today...
  • Weekly web assignments (10)...
  • Weekly problems sets (10)--due at start of Friday lecture...
  • How many people are on Facebook?

  • MW lectures--spend them on theory and tools

  • F lectures--spend them on current events

  • W sections... do problems like those on the next problem set...

  • FM sections... go over last problems and clean-up from the destruction and unclarity left by the previous week's lecture...
  • Read Jeff Zax on what a discussion section leader really does

  • Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=8834189518 join the Berkeley network, and then join the group...

  • Lecture: 247 Cory 9-10 AM M, W, and most F

  • Section: MW 8-9 AM 237 Cory
  • Section: WF 11-12 AM 61 Evans

Marc Gersen aim:mgersen08 mgersen@econ.berkeley.edu 510-541-2326 office hours:
Brad DeLong delong@econ.berkeley.edu 925-708-0467 office hours: W 2-4 Evans 601

Grading

  • Exams
    • Early professorial reality check exam...
    • Pre-spring break core theory exam...
    • Late applications exam...
    • (Short) final to be thought of as a makeup or recovery exam...
    • Take the first exam, and two of the other three...
  • Problem Sets (10)
  • Web Assignments (10)
  • In-Class Reactions (40)
  • Points
    • 101 points in all
    • 2 points per problem set x 10 = 20
    • 1 point per web assignment x 10 = 10
    • 1/4 point per in-class reaction x 40 = 10
    • 10 points for section participation
    • 51 points for exams

October 16, 2007

Starting to Think About Next Semester's Teaching...

We have been moved:

UCB Online Schedule of Classes: Search Results: 3-DEC-07, Spring 2008

ECONOMICS

22579 P 101B 001 LEC MW 8-9A 247 CORY Economic Theory--Macro 4 DELONG, J B
22582 S 101B 101 DIS MW 8-9A 237 CORY Economic Theory--Macro
22585 S 101B 102 DIS WF 11-12P 61 EVANS Economic Theory--Macro

This is a go-faster do-more course--intended for people who would be bored in Economics 100b. (And, I think, not nearly enough people take it.)

Notes to self:

  • Daily index card feedback--what was confusing/boring/interesting about today...
  • Weekly web assignments--largely using spreadsheets...
    • Use Facebook!
  • Weekly problems sets (10)--due at start of Friday lecture...

  • MW lectures--spend them on theory and tools

  • F lectures--spend them on current events

  • W sections... do problems like those on the next problem set

  • FM sections... go over last problems and clean-up from the destruction and unclarity left by the previous week's lecture

Grading:

  • Exams
    • Early professorial reality check exam...
    • Pre-spring break core theory exam...
    • Late applications exam...
    • (Short) final to be thought of as a makeup or recovery exam...
  • Points
    • 101 points in all
    • 2 points per problem set x 10 = 20
    • 1 point per web assignment x 10 = 10
    • 1/4 point per index card x 40 = 10
    • 10 points for section participation
    • 51 points for exams

Proposed Schedule

Introduction

W Jan 23: INTRODUCTION: The Problems of Macroeconomics

  • Case Study: The Federal Reserve, August 2007-December 2007
  • Macroeconomics, 1-3


Theory (with Examples and Illustrations)

The Long Run: Economic Growth

F Jan 25: The Solow Model: Capital and Equilibrium

M Jan 28: The Solow Model: Dynamics and Feedback

W Jan 30: How Much of Today's World Can We Explain with the Solow growth model?

  • Macroeconomics, 5

F Feb 1: What happened this week in the macroeconomy?

M Feb 4: From Malthus to Modernity: Understanding the Industrial Revolution

  • Macroeconomics, review 5.1
  • Notes: Industrial Revolutions
  • Explorations in the Theory of Economic Growth](http://delong.typepad.com/print/20060905lecturenotes.pdf)

W Feb 6: Technology

F Feb 8: What happened this week in the macroeconomy?

  • Problem Set 2 due

M Feb 11: Institutions

  • Notes: Institutions

W Feb 13: Resources

  • Notes: Resources

F Feb 15: PROFESSORIAL REALITY CHECK EXAM


The Medium Run: Economic Fluctuations with Flexible Prices

W Feb 20: Components of Aggregate Demand

  • Macroeconomics, 6

F Feb 22: Full-Employment Equilibrium

M Feb 25: The International Side--Plus Government Budgets and Investment Booms

  • Macroeconomics, review 6.3, review 7.5

W Feb 27: The Monetary Side: The Quantity Theory of Money, Inflation, and Expectations

  • Macroeconomics, 8

F Feb 29: What happened this week in the macroeconomy?

  • Problem Set 4 due

The Short Run: Economic Fluctuations with Sticky Prices

M Mar 3: Sticky Prices and Aggregate Demand

  • Macroeconomics, 9

W Mar 5: The IS Curve and Employment

  • Reading: Macroeconomics, 10 including 10a

F Mar 7: What happened this week in the macroeconomy?

  • Problem Set 5 due

M Mar 10: The Phillips Curve and Inflation

  • Macroeconomics, 12, including 12a (optional: 11)

W Mar 12: Tying Up the Short-Run and the Medium Run

F Mar 14: What happened this week in the macroeconomy?

  • Problem Set 6 due

M Mar 17: Loose Ends

  • Notes: Core Theory Loose Ends

W Mar 18: CORE THEORY EXAM



Applications (with Additional Theory)

Domestic Monetary and Fiscal Policies

M Mar 31: Stabilization Policy since WWII

  • Macroeconomics, review 10.3, review 12.4, 13, 14.1, 16.1-16.4

W Apr 2: Should Conservatives Be Central Bankers?

F Apr 4: What happened this week in the macroeconomy?

  • Problem Set 7 due

M Apr 7: Looking Back at the Great Depression: What Went So Wrong?

  • Macroeconomics, 16.3, 16.5
  • Notes on the Great Depression
  • Notes on Liquidity Traps

W Apr 9: Is There a Political Business Cycle?

  • Macroeconomics, review 13.6

F Apr 11: What happened this week in the macroeconomy?

  • Problem Set 8 due

M Apr 14: U.S. Long-Run Budget Balance

W Apr 16: "Fixing" Social Security

  • Notes on Social Security

F Apr 18: What happened this week in the macroeconomy?

  • Problem Set 9 due

Growth and Distribution

M Apr 21: Productivity Speed-Ups and Slow-Downs

W Apr 23: U.S. Income Distribution

  • Notes: American Income Distribution

F Apr 25: What happened this week in the macroeconomy?

  • Problem Set 10 due

M Apr 28: European Youth and Structural Unemployment

  • Macroeconomics, 16.5
  • Notes: The Western European Macroeconomy

Domestic and International Finance

W Apr 30: "Animal Spirits": Understanding the Stock and Real Estate Markets

F May 2: What happened this week in the macroeconomy?

M May 5: Global Imbalances

W May 7: APPLICATIONS EXAM



Summary and Review

F May 9: What happened this week in the macroeconomy?

M May 12: FINAL REVIEW

Th May 15: FINAL EXAM 8-11

Web Apps in the Classroom...

Ha! (At least "Ha!" in Firefox):

http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=p_zylRhg4toxRamJQhxALYg

Solow Growth Model: Increase in Savings Rate:


Control Parameters:

I wonder if I can require students in 101b next semester to bring laptops to class?

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