COURSE NAME: Economic Ideas and Issues - ECN 203 (SUPA)

SCHOOL DISTRICT: Gloversville

INSTRUCTOR: TBD

Half Year

COURSE PREREQUISITES: The course is rigorous, but not heavily mathematical. Students should understand
basic algebra and geometry. More importantly, they should be able to follow carefully reasoned logical
development of a theoretical model and to apply that model to their own experiences. Economics 203
provides an excellent opportunity to nurture this skill.

BRIEF COURSE DESCRIPTION / OUTLINE: Economics 203, Economic Ideas and Issues, is an introduction to
mainstream economic thought designed for students with a liberal arts interest.

The goals of this course are to introduce students to the ideas that form the foundation of modern
Western (neoclassical) economic thought, to examine the basic framework (the model) that
economists have built on this foundation, and to show how this model is applied to current issues
facing individuals and society.

1. The Subject and Method of Economics
2. An Analysis of a Simple Society and the Forces that Give Rise to Complexity
3. The Neoclassical General Competitive Equilibrium of a Complex Society - Exchange Under Perfect Competition
4. Relaxing Our "Nice" Assumptions - General Equilibrium Analysis
5. Conclusion of Our Analysis of the Microeconomic Model
6. Introduction to Macroeconomics
7. Building the Basic Macroeconomic Model
8. Putting the Basic Macroeconomic Model to Work: Analyzing Macroeconomic Shocks and Macroeconomic
Adjustments
9. Macroeconomic Policy - The Tools and the Debate
10. The State of Neoclassical Theory

OTHER NOTES / MISCELLANEOUS: 3 credits available through Syracuse University

12/12/12