Principles of Macroeconomics

Economics  202

Wenatchee Valley College

Autumn Quarter 2020 – Line Item #1482

 

Instructor: Timothy Jeske, Ph.D.                                                            

 E-mail: Contact via Canvas email or send questions to TJeske@wvc.edu

Virtual Office Hour via Canvas Conference each weekday from 11:00am - Noon.   You are welcome to join the conference meeting to ask questions of your instructor and hear questions from other students (keep in mind students from my other classes will also be dropping in for this virtual office hour).  Students may also contact me with your questions via the Canvas course email system.  I will usually respond within a few hours unless it is a weekend or you send an email after 5:00pm. 

Course Description

WVC Catalog: Study of the structure and operation of the U.S. economic system, including economic institutions, resources, price mechanisms, public finance, economic fluctuations, national income accounting, macroeconomic theory, fiscal policy, the banking system, monetary policy and economic growth.

This course examines the organization of and issues surrounding the modern U.S. macro economy.  Students will capture a glimpse of the development of fiscal and monetary policy, and the impact of economic policy on the business cycle, inflation, unemployment, and economic growth.    

This course fulfills five credits towards the social science distribution requirement towards completion of the Associate of Arts degree at Wenatchee Valley College.  

The social sciences are a collection of academic disciplines that use a variety of methods to investigate human behavior and culture. These methods share a commitment to explanations derived from observable, measurable, and verifiable phenomena. Claims of knowledge require such empirical evidence to be considered valid.  The social sciences generally are committed to employing knowledge for the improvement of the human condition.  In the context of American democracy, social scientists typically share a commitment to influencing public discussions and policies regarding individual liberty, social responsibility, and what constitutes a more just society.

Course Outcomes 

Required Texts:

Lucky you! Your e-textbook is free and a print version is available at very low cost! The book is available in a wide variety of free online formats via the website listed below. You can use the book in whichever format(s) you want; we recommend that you download the entire .pdf so that you always have access to your book.

Principles of Macroeconomics, from OpenStax College, ISBN 1938168259, https://cnx.org/contents/J_WQZJkO@9.2:3ZlSW1C7@6/Introduction

Course Organization: This course is organized into 14 learning modules divided into 4 main sections.  Each learning module has a series of assignments (homework, text sections, video lectures, and ends with the module chapter quiz.  You are to move through each module's content in sequential order.  Most modules are about 5 days in duration. 

Video Lectures: In each module are several video lectures that are required viewing.  You should treat these video lectures with the same importance as you would an in-class lecture from your instructor.  I have selected a variety of video sources but the primary series of video lectures are lectures from  PBS (Public Broadcasting Corporation) Crash Course: American Government.   There are also several miscellaneous video lectures that are assigned.  Take notes as you watch and listen to the lecture.  You are expected to cite/acknowledge information and ideas taken from these lectures into your homework assignments.  Citation is by lecture author and title  (e.g. Khan Academy - Markets) or  by series (e.g. Crash Course - Economics #4), or by lecture title (e.g. Gateways to Democracy) and if you directly quote or closely paraphrase from a video lecture you must provide the time from the lecture where the quotation/paraphrased words was taken (e.g. 2:37 - 2:55).  

Student Rights and Responsibilities

The Wenatchee Valley College's code of conduct states that the following is a violation of college rules:

The following acts by a student are considered academic misconduct and are prohibited:

1. Academic dishonesty—academic dishonesty occurs when students give or receive unauthorized assistance in an academic exercise or attempt to receive credit for work that is not their own.
2. Cheating—intentionally using or attempting to use unauthorized materials, information or study aides in an academic exercise.
3. Fabrication—the intentional and unauthorized falsification or invention of any information or citation in an academic exercise.
4. Plagiarism—the deliberate adoption or reproduction of ideas or words or statements of another person as one’s own without acknowledgement.
5. Falsifying an exam, paper, projects, transcript, etc. (or assisting another student to do so).
6. Unauthorized use of materials or collaboration with another person during a test or assignment.
7. Substituting for a student, or permitting a substitute for oneself, to take an exam, course or test, or to provide the work for any assigned project. 

If the student is found to  being academically dishonest, s/he may receive an immediate failure and disciplinary action may be taken in accordance with the code procedures.  The 2019-20 WVC catalog and the most current copy of the WVC Code of Conduct  reviews your rights and responsibilities as a student.  

Class Attendance: Requirement and Policy

While this course is instructed on-line, my expectations for attendance are related to the student completing all of the assigned readings from your textbook, watching and taking notes of the assigned video lectures, completing quizzes and homework assignments on time, or before, the completion deadline, and, completing the examinations when scheduled.  I will not accept late work or allow students to complete assignments after they are due. 

Students are responsible for withdrawing themselves from the course. The instructor can administratively withdraw students who fail to attend class on a regular basis.  The last day to withdraw from the course is Monday, November 9, 2020. The instructor will not give administrative withdrawals or an incomplete grade after November 9 unless there is a bona fide medical or family emergency and the student is currently passing the course.

Faith & Conscience

STUDENT HOLIDAYS FOR FAITH OR CONSCIENCE POLICY

RCW 1.16.050 as amended by SS Bill 5173 provides that Wenatchee Valley College students are entitled to two days of excused absences per academic year for reasons of faith or conscience or for organized activities conducted under the auspices of a religious denomination, church, or religious organization.

Students' grades may not be adversely impacted by absences authorized under this policy. Each holiday taken under this policy must be taken as a whole day, i.e. the day may not be divided into hours and taken piecemeal.  The procedure for applying can be found at https://www.wvc.edu/humanresources/policies-procedures/400-student-services/400.610-student-holidays-for-faith.html

Graded Assignments: Subject to Change at Instructor's Discretion

Your final course grade will be determined from the satisfactory completion of the following graded assignments:

• 4 examinations; @ 50 points each = 200 points
• 14 Multiple-Choice quizzes; @ 20 points - 280 points. 
• 14 Homework assignments related to readings and video lectures;  14 @ 35 points = 490 points      
• Insurance - in the event you experience a technology problem that prevents your submission of an assignment/quiz/exam I have incorporated insurance points - 70 points - Your final course grade is based on the percent of 900 rather than the possible 970 points.  These insurance points protect you should you miss an assignment or have a technology failure in the midst of an exam or quiz. Please do not request second chances for completing assignments - that is why I have added these insurance points.  Keep in mind, the presence of insurance points means that your canvas grade is an approximate grade and will be somewhat lower than your actual grade. 

About the examinations and quizzes: The fourteen quizzes are to be completed by the due date/time.  They are timed, and available for the student to attempt only one time.  Do not open the quiz until you are ready to take and complete the quiz.  Like the quizzes, exams will be timed but consist of questions requiring written free response or essay answers.  Three examinations are on-line.  The fourth  (and last) exam is an essay paper that will be assigned on November 30 and due by noon on December 8. Be sure when you take your quiz/exam that the technology you are using is reliable and take it when you won't be interrupted.  I will not allow another attempt at a quiz or an exam should your technology fail or you were interrupted during the quiz time; this is why I have created insurance points.  Of course, if you are unable to complete an assignment due to a technology problem caused by WVC or Canvas, you will have an opportunity to complete the assignment.    

You will need to download the Respondus Lockdown Browser for your device in order to take the quizzes and examination.  Here is the link - Link

The following percentage scale based on 900 points (note there are 70 insurance points included in this course) determines your final grade:

100% - 94% = A  

93.9% - 90% = A-

89.9% - 87% = B+        

86.9% - 83% = B 

82.9% - 80% = B-

79.9% - 77% = C+        

76.9% - 73% = C 

72.9% - 70% = C-

69.9% - 67% = D+        

66.9% - 60% = D 

59.9% - 0%   = F