Course Administration Feed

01/01/2016

Advanced Principles of Economics: Syllabus

Spring Semester 2016:

Preliminaries:

Microeconomics: Market Success:

  • M Jan 25: Foundations: Choice, Opportunity Cost and Willingness-to-Pay, and Demand and Supply; Letter to GSI Due
  • W Jan 27: Equilibrium: Price, Quantity, and Economic Surplus
  • Section 2: How to do Problem Set 1
  • M Feb 1: Monkeying Destructively: Quotas, Price Ceilings and Floors, and Taxes; Problem Set 1 Due

Microeconomics: Market Failure and Its Correction:

  • W Feb 3: Monkeying Constructively: Externalities, Pigovian Taxes, and Property Rights
  • Section 3: How to do Problem Set 2
  • M Feb 8: Market Power: Monopolies, Oligopolies, and "Local" Market Power
  • W Feb 10: Increasing Returns: Natural Monopolies, Non-Rivalry, and Regulation; Problem Set 2 Due
  • W Feb 17: INSTRUCTOR REALITY-CHECK MIDTERM
  • M Feb 22: Public and Near-Public Goods: Non-Excludibility, and Ancillary Services
  • W Feb 24: Hidden Information: Adverse Selection, Moral Hazard, and the Economics of Health Care
  • Section 4: How to do Problem Set 3
  • M Feb 29: Disequilibrium: Expectations, Search, and Rationing
  • W Mar 2: Behavioral Economics: Systematic Miscalculation and Nudges; Problem Set 3 Due
  • Section 5: How to do Problem Set 4

Microeconomics: Malign Market Success:

  • M Feb 7: Social Welfare: Maldistribution, Inequality, Surplus, Desert, Utility, and Fairness
  • W Mar 9: Government Failure: Rent-Seeking, Public Choice, and Bureaucracy
  • Section 6: Moral philosophy discussion

Microeconomics: Summing Up:

  • M Mar 14: REVIEW: Problem Set 4 Due
  • W Mar 16: MICRO MIDTERM
  • M Mar 21: Spring Vacation Assignment: Slee, Nobody Makes You Shop at Wal-Mart, and Friedman and Director Friedman, Free to Choose

Macroeconomics: Business Cycles:

  • M Mar 28: Introduction: What Is Macroeconomics?
  • W Mar 30: The Business Cycle: "Say's Law", and "General Gluts"
  • Section 7: What went wrong on the micro midterm/political economy discussion
  • M Apr 4: The Circular Flow of Economic Activity: Components of Planned Expenditure; Leveraging and Deleveraging
  • W Apr 6: Aggregate Demand: Working with the Income-Expenditure Framework
  • Section 8: How to do Problem Set 5

Macroeconomics: Macroeconomic Policy:

  • M Apr 11: Fiscal Policy: Making "Say's Law" True in Practice I; Problem Set 5 Due
  • W Apr 13: Monetary Policy: Making "Say's Law" True in Practice II
  • Section 9: How to do Problem Set 6
  • M Apr 18: Inflation: Output Gaps, Inflation Gaps, and Expectations

Macroeconomics: Managing the Mixed Economy:

  • W Apr 20: The Long Run: Rightsizing the Government, and Long-Run Economic Growth; Problem Set 6 Due
  • Section 10: How to do Problem Set 7
  • M Apr 25: Where We Are and Where We Are Going: The Macroeconomic Past and Future: 2000-2033;

Conclusion:

  • W Apr 27: FINAL REVIEW CLASS
  • Section 11: Review of the course
  • M May 2: NO LECTURE: Problem Set 7 Due
  • W May 4: Reading Period Assignment: Seabright, In the Company of Strangers
  • F May 6: Final Paper Due
  • M May 9: Pre-Exam Q & A
  • F May 13: FINAL EXAM

How Markets and Governments Go Wrong:

  1. Externalities
  2. Market Power
  3. Non-Rivalry and Increasing Returns
  4. Non-Excludibility and Public Goods
  5. Adverse Selection and Moral Hazard
  6. Maldistribution
  7. Miscalculation
  8. Disequilibrium
  9. Rent Seeking
  10. Bureaucracy

Posted at 09:46 AM in Course Administration, Syllabus | | Comments (0)

11/17/2010

UC Berkeley Webcasts and File Uploads: J. Bradford DeLong: Economics 1, Fall 2010

File Uploads:

August 30: Introduction to Macroeconomics: Audio | Slides | Notes

September 1: Introduction to Depression Economics: Audio | Slides | Notes

September 8: Downturns and Financial Markets: Keynesians and Monetarists: Audio | Slides | Notes

September 13: Dealing with the "Great Recession": Audio | Slides | Notes

September 15: Inflation Economics: Audio | Slides | Notes

September 20: Inflation Economics II: http://delong.typepad.com/econ_1_fall_2010/2010/09/files-for-september-20-econ-1-lecture-inflation-economics-ii-j-bradford-delong-uc-berkeley-fall-2010.html

September 22: Budget Economics: http://delong.typepad.com/econ_1_fall_2010/2010/09/files-for-september-22-econ-1-lecture-budget-economics.html

September 27: Budget Economics II:

September 29: Growth Economics: Background:

October 1: Pre-Midterm Review Session: http://delong.typepad.com/econ_1_fall_2010/2010/10/econ-1-pre-october-4-2010-midterm-review-session.html

October 6: Economic Growth II:

October 11: Introduction to Microeconomics:

October 13: Fundamentals of Supply and Demand:

October 18: Working with Supply and Demand:

October 20: Short Run and Long Run:

Problem Set 5

October 25: General Equilibrium:

October 27: Monopoly:

Problem+set+6-1

Monopolistic Competition:

Sample Midterm 2

Files for November 3 Lecture: Monopolistic Competition:

Solutions for Sample Midterm 2, and for Problem Sets 4, 5, and 6:

problem+set+4+solutions.pdf

problem+set+5+solutions.pdf

problem+set+6+solutions.pdf

Practice+Midterm+2+solutions.pdf

Files for November 10 "Externalities" Lecture:

Download Problem+set+7

November 15 "Public Goods and Asymmetric Information":

Posted at 03:19 PM in Assignments, Course Administration, Lecture Audio, Lecture Notes, Lecture Slides | | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

08/27/2010

i>Clicker Issues

Hi all,

Direct any questions regarding i>clickers to me at urbancic@berkeley.edu.

If you have a remote for which the code is difficult to read--which happens frequently with used remotes--come to my office hours, and we can test it to find the code.

Best,

--Mike

Posted at 10:25 AM in Course Administration | | Comments (0)

Regrade Policy

If you notice an arithmetic mistake in totaling the number of points on an exam, simply point this out to your GSI as soon as possible, and the correction will be made.

For any other reconsideration of a grade on either of the midterms, you must submit a formal re-grade request, in writing, given to your GSI no later than seven days after the midterm is returned. Note that the entire midterm will be subject to re-grading—so you may gain or lose points overall if you request a re-grade.

There will never be a re-grade for any problem set or quiz, nor will there ever be a re-grade for the final exam.

Posted at 10:21 AM in Course Administration | | Comments (0)

08/26/2010

Syllabus: Fall 2010 U.C. Berkeley Econ 1: Principles of Economics

Download pdf: 20100826 Syllabus Economics 1 fall 2010.pdf

Posted at 12:02 PM in Course Administration, Syllabus | | Comments (0)

08/25/2010

A Forwarded Note from the Economics Department's GSI Coordinator

Juan Carlos Suarez Serrato wrote:

Dear Professors:

I'll keep it as brief as possible. I want to remind you of two things:

  1. Regarding enrollment inquiries. As the semester starts and students finalize their course selection you get many inquiries concerning enrollment. You can forward those questions to me, or head them off in the first place, by announcing that all enrollment questions should be sent to the department's Head GSI (me) at: [email protected].

  2. Regarding undergraduate courses with sections. These sections need to meet during the first week of classes, even if the first section meeting is before the first lecture. This serves two purposes: first, GSIs can take care of some housekeeping like arranging office hours and introducing themselves. Second, if your class has a waitlist, GSIs take attendance in order to drop any student that doesn't show up the entire first week (Thursday, August 26th through Wednesday, September 1st).

Best,

Juan Carlos Suarez Serrato
Head GSI, Econ Department

Posted at 07:32 PM in Course Administration | | Comments (0)

Notes on Course Materials for Econ 1

Three quick notes about the course materials for Econ 1:

  1. Note that you do not need the latest (9th) edition of the recommended textbook, Principles of Economics by Case, Fair, and Oster. The 8th edition (or earlier editions) would be perfectly sufficient. Currently, used copies of the 8th edition are extremely cheap at Amazon.com and other places online. We will not be using the MyEconLab resources, so don't worry about paying any licencing fee for this service when buying a used book.

  2. Note that the entire text of Adam Smith's An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations is available for free online at http://econlib.org/library/Smith/smWN.html. There is no need to purchase a physical volume if you do not wish to do so.

  3. Given the benefits to your grade you will definitely want to acquire an i>clicker. Everyone is expected to have one and bring it to every lecture (including the first one). You can find new or used clickers online (at, say, Amazon.com) or locally at the ASUC Bookstore or Ned's. They can be used for other courses for the duration of your time at Cal, and they can also be sold back at the conclusion of the semester. Once you purchase a clicker, register it at http://www.iclicker.com/registration/ with your name and 8-digit student ID.

More information and details to follow over the coming days.

Mike Urbancic, Head GSI

Posted at 07:31 PM in Course Administration | | Comments (0)

08/11/2010

Resources and Requirements (Under Construction)

Books:

  • Partha Dasgupta, Economics: A Very Short Introduction
  • Adam Smith, An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations (available for free on the web or free for Amazon Kindle or Apple iBooks; you can also buy a copy)
  • Paul Seabright, In t The Company of Strangers: A Natural History of Economic Life
  • Milton Friedman and Rose Director Friedman, Free to Choose
  • Karl Case, Ray Fair, and Sharon Oster, Principles of Economics (Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2009) (9th ed., but 8th or 7th will do fine) (recommended)

Hardware:

Resources:

Evaluations:

  • 8 problem sets
  • 2 short essays
  • 2 five-minute in-section outside reading presentations
  • 2 midterms
  • 1 final
  • section quizzes

Posted at 11:25 PM in Course Administration | | Comments (0)

Schedule and Syllabus (Under Construction)

U.C. Berkeley: Fall 2010: Econ 1

Instructor: J. Bradford DeLong, [email protected], 9257080467.

Head Section Leader: Michael Urbancic.

Lectures: MW(F) 12 @ Wheeler Auditorium

Sections: Various.

Macroeconomics

Depression Economics:
M Aug 30: The Great Recession of 2008-2010
W Sep 1: Depression Economics
W Sep 8: Financial Crises and the Housing Bubble
(F) Sep 10: Wheeler Office Hours

Inflation Economics:
M Sep 13: Inflation Economics
W Sep 15: The Federal Reserve and Macroeconomic Management
(F) Sep 17: Wheeler Office Hours

Budget Economics:
M Sep 20: The Government's Resources and Promises: The National Debt and Budget Balance
W Sep 22: Fiscal Crisis, Capital Flight, Hyperinflation

Growth Economics:
M Sep 27: Total Output and Factors of Production: Technology, Organization, Labor, Capital, Education, Resources
W Sep 29: Sources of and Limits to Growth

M Oct 4: MIDTERM EXAM

W Oct 6: Economic Knowledge as the Ultimate Free Lunch

Microeconomics

Choice and Organization:
M Oct 11: Economic Behavior: Choice, Scarcity, and Exchange
W Oct 13: Markets and Other Allocation Procedures
(F) Oct 15: Wheeler Office Hours
M Oct 18: Working with Supply and Demand
W Oct 20: Production and Equilibrium in the Short Run and the Long Run
(F) Oct 22: Wheeler Office Hours
M Oct 25: General Equilibrium and the "Efficiency" of "Perfect" Competition

Market Power:
W Oct 27: Monopoly
M Nov 1: Oligopoly
W Nov 3: Monopolistic Competition
(F) Nov 5: Wheeler Office Hours

M Nov 8: MIDTERM 2 EXAM

Market Failure:
W Nov 10: Externalities
M Nov 15: Uncertainty and Asymmetric Information
W Nov 17: Increasing Return and Information Goods
(F) Nov 19: Wheeler Office Hours
M Nov 22: Poverty and Income Distribution

Political Economy:
M Nov 29: The "Mixed Economy"
W Dec 1: The Economic Theory of Politics
(F) Dec 3: Wheeler Office Hours
M Dec 6: Economic Policies and Problems Today and Tomorrow
(F) Dec 10: Wheeler Office Hours

Final:
T Dec 14: FINAL EXAM 11:30-2:30

Posted at 11:24 PM in Course Administration, Syllabus | | Comments (0)

Frequently Asked Questions (Under Construction)

Q: Why so many books? A: This is Berkeley, the best public university in the world. If you are not in the rapid-information-assimilation-and-processing business, this is not the university for you.

Q: Why is the textbook only recommended? A: We--that is, Laura Tyson, Bob Reich, and Brad DeLong--are writing our own. We will be handing out our draft chapters. But there is something to be said for having a net under you the first time you perform on the flying trapeze...

Q: Doesn't that mean that we are guinea pigs--experimental animals? A: Yes, but the life of an experimental animal can be a very interesting and fulfilling one.

Q: Will we flunk? A: Probably not--although the curve will not be especially high. Grading: 33% final, 33% midterms, 20% problem sets (0, late, check-, check, check+), 5% in-section presentations, 5% outside readings and reports, 4% section participation... Miss one midterm, other midterm double-weighted... +5% extra credit for iClicker

Q: What will we be doing in sections? A: A number of things. Exercises will be distributed in lecture, and some section time will be spent doing them and going over them. Some time will be spent going over the (right) answers for the weekly problem sets, and prepping for the exams. There will be the inevitable clean-up in section for those times when the lecturer has totally lost his mind, or just been maddeningly vague and unclear. There will be in-section oral presentations on assigned additional outside readings from the news--and there will be one- or two-page reports on those readings. There will be discussions. There may be section-specific online discussions as well. There will definitely be in-section discussion and review of the in-lecture iClicker questions. All students should make their section leaders their friends: they will, after all, be grading them.

Posted at 11:23 PM in Course Administration | | Comments (0)