BUAD 350

 

 

 

 

Home
Research
Econ 505-Macro
FBE 563 - International
BUAD 350
Links

Marshall

 

 

Hit Counter

 [ Notes ] [ Articles ] [ Overheads ] [ Additional Readings ] [ Exercises ] [ Data ]

 

 

University of Southern California

Marshall School of Business

Department of Finance and Business Economics

BUAD 350: Macroeconomic Analysis for Business Decisions

 

Location: Hoffman Hall 2

Professor:     Ayse Imrohoroglu        TA: Rahsan Akbulut

Phone:            (213) 740-6518                Office Hrs: MW 2:00-3:30           

Office:            HOH 601F              Office: HOH 601L       

Office hours:  MW 2:00-3:00             Email: rahsan@usc.edu

Email: ayse@marshall.usc.edu                                          

Readings:

The required textbook for this course is Macroeconomics by Andrew A Able and Ben S. Bernanke, Addison-Wesley, 5th ed. The study guide that accompanies this book is available on the web at http://www.coursecompass.com/ccindex.html. Every student who buys a new copy of the book receives a prepaid subscription to MyEcon Lab which contains the study guide. The details about how to access MyEcon Lab can be found in the book. Second-hand copies of the study guide that may be obtained from the bookstore can also be used.

 

In addition, the course packet which has several articles from the economic and financial press, is required. This packet is sold at the bookstore. Copies of most of the articles that are in this course packet can also be found on my web page. They are intended to provide an applied perspective to the concepts that will be covered in lectures. We will discuss some of these articles in class. You will be responsible for all articles, even those that are not discussed in detail in class. There may be direct questions from these articles in exams and quizzes.  There will also be direct questions from the Commanding Heights video that will be viewed on Oct. 18 and Nov. 29.

  

Course Grading:

           Quizzes (4 out of 5)    40%

            Midterm Exam             25%

            Final Exam                    35%

For this course, the target average GPA is 2.85. The actual average GPA may be slightly higher or lower that this target, depending on the overall performance of the class.

  

Course Outline[1]

Date

Topic

Chapter(s)

Articles

8/23

1. Introduction

1

1

8/25

2. Review of High School Math

-

 

8/30,9/1

3. Measurement of Economic Performance

2

2,3

          The “real” economy and the long run

9/8, 9/13

4. Production and Income

Quiz 1 on 9/8

3.1,3.2

 

4,5

9/15,9/20

5. The labor market and inequality

3.3-3.5

pp. 88-90, 228-230

6-8

9/22,9/27

 

6. Consumption and saving

Quiz 2 on 9/22

4.1, Appendix 4.A

9

9/29

7. Investment

4.2,4.3

 

10/4,10/6,10/11

8. Economic growth

6

10-12

10/13

Midterm

 

 

10/18

9. Commanding Heights-Part1

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/commandingheights/lo/story/ch_menu.html

         Monetary Economics

10/20, 10/25

10. Money and Prices

7 (except 7.2)

13

10/27,11/1

11. Monetary policy and the Fed.

Quiz 3 on 10/27

14, pp.434-437

14-16

11/3,11/8

12. Fiscal policy

15.1-15.3

17

        Business cycles

11/10,11/15

 

13. Business Cycle facts and analysis of shocks

Quiz 4 on 11/10

8.1-8.3,10.1

18-19

        Open Economy

11/17

14-a. Balance of payments

5.1-5.3, 5.5,

20

11/22,11/24

14-b. Exchange Rates

Quiz 5 on 11/22

13.1,13.2,13.5

21,22

11/29

15. Commanding Heights-Part 2

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/commandingheights/lo/story/ch_menu_02.html

12/1

Review

 

 

 

[1] All details in this schedule are subject to change with adequate notice.

 


 

List of Articles

 

1.     The Dismal Science? Hardly” The Wall Street Journal, June 4, 2003.

2.      “National Economic Trends,” Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, April 2004. http://research.stlouisfed.org/publications/net/page3.pdf

3.     “National Data - Selected NIPA Tables,” Bureau of Economic Analysis 2004.

4.      “Productivity and Technology,” The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, National Economic Trends, May 1997

5.     “Statistical Illusions” The Economist, November 2001

6.     “The Great Hollowing-out Myth,” The Economist, February 19, 2004

7.     “Earnings Inequality and Earnings Mobility in the U.S.” FRBSF Economic Letter, Nov. 2003.

8.     “Not so fair pay,” The Economist, June 27, 1998

9.     “Rebates Boost Incomes, but not Spending,” The Wall Street Journal, Aug. 31, 2001

10.   “Growth is good,” The Economist, May 27, 2000

11.  “Is the Vaunted 'Asian Miracle' Really Just an Illusion?” The Wall Street Journal, Friday, October 20, 1995

12.  “The vice of thrift”, The Economist, March 21, 1998

13.  “Return from the dead”, The Economist, April 2004.

14.  “U.S. Monetary Policy: An Introduction, Part 3: How does monetary policy affect the U.S. economy? FRBSF Economic Letter, January 2004.

15.  “What the Fed Can’t Do,” The Wall Street Journal, August 19, 1994

16.  “A Computer Would Do Better Than the Fed,” The New York Times, April 7, 2001

17.   “The Price of Profligacy,” The Economist, January, 2003

18.   “Of Shocks and Horrors,” The Economist, September 26, 2002 

19.   “If It Ain’t Broke, Don’t Fix It,” The Wall Street Journal, December 2, 1992

20.   “In defence of deficits,” The Economist, December 16, 1995

21.      “The Big Mac Index,” The Economist, May 2004

22.  “Diminished,” The Economist, May  22, 2003

 


 

[1] All details in this schedule are subject to change with adequate notice.