Macroeconomics and International Trade

Catalog description

This course introduces basic concepts and tools from macroeconomic theory and applies them to current events. Its purpose is to help students become informed observers of the macroeconomic issues that are most frequently reported by and discussed in the media. Topics covered include, among others, economic growth, expansions and recessions, monetary and fiscal policies, inflation, unemployment, the public debt, interest rates, the trade balance, and global markets. Although focusing on the U.S. -- currently the world's largest national economy -- and paying special attention to its institutions and problems, the course emphasizes the global context in which it functions by periodically shifting attention to other economies around the world. Globalization-related issues such as international financial markets, exchange rates, and international trade are given special attention.