Economics For Life

Econ 101

Fall 2021

Online

8/30/2021 to 12/20/2021

Section     13929

 

Instructor: Peter de Luca                              Email address: peter.de-Luca@CSUN.edu

Phone:  818 281 6764

Office hours: Mon & Wed at 11 AM,  Sat & Sun at 6 PM

TEXT: 

Stephen Slavin: Microeconomics

I will provide the chapter PDF’s

Stephen Slavin: Macroeconomics: Any version from 9^th to 13^th

I will provide the book in PDF form

COURSE DESCRIPTION AND OBJECTIVES:

Course Description (from course catalog): Introduction to economic principles. Explains the role of prices and profits/losses in guiding production to meet the demands of consumers in a market economy. Uses economic analysis to explain the determination of wages and employment, the consequences of international trade, the arguments for government intervention to deal with important issues such as pollution and congestion, and economic growth. The role of money in a market economy is also addressed

 

 

 

Course Objectives:

• Learn economic principles to understand the world and navigate everyday life in a modern economy.
  • Apply economic models to explain and predict market outcomes.
  • Gain a working knowledge of economic terminology used by the media and political actors.
  • Critically evaluate claims about economic behavior and policy.

 

FULL SEMESTER LENGTH CLASS DEADLINES:

Full refund if withdrawal is processed on or before Aug. 29, 2021

Prorated refund if withdrawal is processed between Aug. 30 - Nov. 5, 2021

No refund if withdrawal is processed after Nov. 5, 2021

GRADES:  

Grades are based on a percentage of possible points—totaled from assignments, quizzes, and exams, etc.  The grading scale is as follows: 

A = 90–100%   B = 80–89%   C = 70–79% D = 60–69%   F = below 60%

 

 

Practice and Testing Quizzes:           46%    (The number of points is tentative)

Practice Quizzes: 

Practice quizzes that cover the same chapter material as the Testing quizzes. These practice quizzes provide immediate feedback from me for most of the questions in them. You can do them as many times as you wish. They are all open book and open notes. But there are time limits. They also have deadlines. They are there to prepare you for doing the Testing quizzes, midterm, and final. There is a strong correlation between the practice quizzes and the Testing quizzes, and the midterm and final exams so do them earnestly. 

To be successful in this course, you must focus on the practice quizzes. They will prepare you for the Testing quiz and the midterm and final.  Do them earnestly! Be sure to read my mini-feedback comments for the questions. They will help reinforce the material. They will close usually at 8 PM, four hours before its Testing Quiz closes.

To discourage rushing through a practice quiz, if the student fails the chapter Testing quiz, I will replace the practice quiz score with the chapter Testing quiz score.

Testing Quizzes:   

They are all open book and open notes.  There are time limits and closing dates that you must keep track of.

You must take the online quizzes by yourself. The quizzes are used by me to determine your progress in the class. The quizzes are an assessment tool, and your grade must reflect your understanding of the material. A quiz must be done in one sitting. You cannot walk away from it.  

Once you submit your quiz, it will then be automatically graded. You will know your score immediately.  If you don’t take the quiz, you will get a zero for it but I will most likely allow you to replace your quizzes with the corresponding chapter scores in your midterm and final exam. I will determine the replacement policy for each student based on their participation in the course. See more information about my replacement policy in the Midterm and Final Exam sections below.  

 

 

 

Test # 1:                      18%  (The number of points is tentative)

This exam is open book and open notes.

Test # 1 is structured by microeconomics chapters. If you didn’t take a quiz, then it will be my decision on replacing that zero or low grade with your Test # 1 exam score. I will look at your participation in the course to determine whether the zero will be replaced.

This test covers Supply and Demand, The Theory of Consumer Behavior, and Economic Profits

 

Test # 2:                      18%  (The number of points is tentative)

This exam is open book and open notes.

Test # 2 is structured by macroeconomics chapters. If you didn’t take a quiz, then it will be my decision on replacing that zero or low grade with your Test # 2 exam score. I will look at your participation in the course to determine whether the zero will be replaced.

This test covers Household Consumption Sector, the Business Investment Sector, and the Government Sector

 

Final Exam:                18%   (The number of points is tentative)

This exam is open book and open notes.

The final is structured by the macroeconomics chapters. If you didn’t take a quiz, then it will be my decision on replacing that zero or low grade with  your midterm exam score. I will look at your participation in the course to determine whether the zero will be replaced.

The final covers the Federal Reserve & Monetary Policy, Economic Fluctuations, and Keynes Versus Hayek

 

 

 

 

 

LECTURE AND EXAM OUTLINE AND SCHEDULE (subject to change)

Week 4 to Midterm: Microeconomics Textbook

Week 4: Chapter 4: Supply and Demand Part 1

Week 5: Chapter 4: Supply and Demand Part 2 

Week 6: Chapter 7: Theory of Consumer Behavior

Week 7: In Chapter 9: Economic Profits, Losses, or Breakeven

Week 8:  Test #1: Chapters 4: 7 & 9:  Tuesday and Wednesday (Tentative)

Week 9 to Final: Macroeconomics Textbook

    Week 9: Chapter 5: The Household Consumption Sector (GDP)

    Week 10: Chapter  6: The Business Investment Sector (GDP)

    Week 11:  Chapter 7: The Government Sector (GDP)

    Week 12: Test # 2  

   Week 12: Chapter 13 & MORE

   Week 13:  Chapter 14: The Federal Reserve and Monetary Policy

    Week 14 & 15: Chapter 10: Economic Fluctuations, Unemployment, and Inflation

    Week 16: Final