(45 hours of instruction) This course will give you a thorough introduction to the field of macroeconomics. Macroeconomics helps answer many questions such as why income is high in some countries and low in others and why production and employment expand some years and contract in others. Because its implications are crucial to the quality of our lives, macroeconomics information shows up daily in newspapers and on the TV news.

You often hear about such things as the rate at which average prices are rising (inflation) and the imbalance of trade between the United States and the rest of the world (the trade deficit). Economics professionals compile and monitor statistics about these things using macroeconomic analysis. In this course, you'll learn exactly how they do it-discovering how to analyze economy-wide phenomena, including inflation, unemployment, and trade deficits. You'll gain an understanding of why a solid foundation in macroeconomics is important for your studies and career.

To purchase this course, click the Enroll Now button below:

Recommended Courses:

Students who enrolled in Introduction to Macroeconomics were also interested in the following courses:

This course includes all required textbooks and access to expert instructors who can be reached by phone or e-mail.

Course Schedule:

Introduction:
Welcome to the Course!
Discussion Area Practice
Required Discussion Area Posting—Introduction

Week 1:

Basic Principles of Economics and Thinking Like an Economist
Required Reading—Chapters 1 and 2
Day 1: Introduction to Economics
Day 2: Principles of Economics
Day 3: Thinking Like an Economist
Self-Quiz

Week 2:

Trade and the Market Forces
Required Reading—Chapters 3 and 4
Day 1: Interdependence and Gains in Trade
Day 2: Comparative Advantage and Trade
Day 3: Market and Competition Supply and Demand
Self-Quiz

Week 3:

Elasticity, Supply, Demand, and Government Policies
Required Reading—Chapters 5 and 6
Day 1: Elasticity and Its Applications
Day 2: Government Policies and the Effect on Supply and Demand
Day 3: Taxes and The Influences on Market Outcomes
Research Project Assigned
Self-Quiz

Week 4:

Consumer, Producers, Market Efficiency, and Taxation
Required Reading—Chapters 7 and 8
Day 1: Introduction to Consumers, Producers, and the Efficiency of Markets
Day 2: Market Efficiency
Required Discussion Area Posting—Market Power
Day 3: Taxation
Self-Quiz

Week 5:

International Trade and Measuring a Nation's Income
Required Reading—Chapters 9 and 10
Day 1: Equilibrium, World Price, and Comparative Advantage
Day 2: Import Quotas and Trade Restrictions
Day 3: The Economy's Income and Expenditure
Self-Quiz

Week 6:

Cost of Living, Production, and Growth
Required Reading—Chapters 11 and 12
Day 1: Measuring the Cost of Living
Day 2: Correcting Economic Variables
Day 3: Global Economic Growth
Self-Quiz

Week 7:

Saving, Investing, and the Basic Tools of Finance
Required Reading—Chapters 13 and 14
Day 1: Introduction to Financial Markets
Day 2: Savings and Investment in the National Income Accounts
Day 3: Measuring the Time Value of Money
Required Discussion Area Posting—Investing
Self-Quiz

Week 8:

The Monetary System
Required Reading—Chapter 16
Day 1: The Meaning of Money
Day 2: Banks and The Money Supply
Day 3: The Role of the Fed
Self-Quiz

Midterm Examination

Week 9:

Money Growth and Inflation
Required Reading—Chapter 17
Day 1: Money Growth and Inflation
Day 2: Money, The Adjustment Process, and Economic Indicators
Day 3: The Quantity Theory In Depth
Self-Quiz

Week 10:

Open-Economy Macroeconomics: The Basics
Required Reading—Chapter 18
Day 1: Goods and Capital
Day 2: Net Exports and International Transactions
Day 3: The Real Exchange Rate and Purchasing Power
Self-Quiz

Week 11:

A Macroeconomic Theory of the Open Economy
Required Reading—Chapter 19
Day 1: The Open Market
Day 2: Equilibrium, Government Policies, and Budget Deficit in an Open Economy
Day 3: Factors that Affect the Open Market
Required Discussion Area Posting—Budget Analysis
Self-Quiz

Week 12:

Aggregate Demand and Aggregate Supply
Required Reading—Chapter 20
Day 1: Economic Fluctuations
Day 2: The Aggregate-Demand Curve
Day 3: Identifying Long-Run Growth and Inflation
Self-Quiz

Week 13:

The Influence of Monetary and Fiscal Policy on Aggregate Demand
Required Reading—Chapter 21
Day 1: Monetary Policy and Aggregate Demand
Day 2: Fiscal Policy, The Spending Multiplier, and Changes in Taxes
Day 3: Stabilizing the Economy
Submit Research Project
Self-Quiz

Week 14:

Unemployment and Inflation
Required Reading—Chapters 15 and 22
Day 1: Unemployment
Required Discussion Area Posting—NAIRU Theory of Unemployment
Day 2: The Phillips Curve
Day 3: Inflation
Self-Quiz

Week 15:

Five Debates over Macroeconomic Policy
Required Reading—Chapter 23
Day 1: Leading Economic Issues, Part 1
Day 2: Leading Economic Issues, Part 2
Day 3: The Fifth Leading Economic Issues
Self-Quiz

Final Examination

To purchase this course, click the Enroll Now button below:

This is an Self-Study syllabus.

To purchase this course, click the Enroll Now button below:

Requirements:

Microsoft Windows Vista or XP, Microsoft Office 2007 (Home and Student Edition, Standard Edition, Small Business Edition, or Professional Edition are all acceptable), Internet access, e-mail, Macromedia Flash Player, Macromedia Shockwave Player, Apple Quicktime, and the Microsoft Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox Web browser.

To purchase this course, click the Enroll Now button below:

Student Reviews:

Reviews coming soon! Please check back next month.

To purchase this course, click the Enroll Now button below: