Economics 302: Macroeconomic Analysis

Problem sets are an integral part of this course: they are designed to reinforce concepts from lecture, to extend your knowledge of certain concepts beyond lecture, and to apply these concepts to real-world data and situations. Directly, the problem sets are worth 12% of the overall course grade; indirectly, understanding the concepts and applications in the problem sets is essential to performing well on the exams. You are allowed to work with one other classmate and submit a single problem set.

All work submitted for a grade in this course must be your own original work. As noted above, you may work with one other student enrolled in this course on the problem sets. Submitting the work of another person as your own would constitute plagiarism under Wesleyan's Honor Code, and will not be tolerated. If you have any questions about the application of the Honor Code, please contact me.

Each assignment will have at least one empirical question that will require the use of EViews. Please save your workfile and submit it according to the following instructions. You will not receive credit for the problem set if you do not submit your EViews workfile.

1. From the "Start" button, select "My Computer".
2. In the window that opens, click on the "Tools" menu item and select "Map Network Drive..."
3. In the resulting dialog box, type "\\Dragon\ECON302\" in the text box for the "Folder:". (Note the two backslashes before the word "Dragon".) You may leave the "Drive:" selection at "Z:", or choose any other letter that is not already assigned.
4. Click "Finish". After a few seconds, you should see the network drive with the course directory listed in the "My Computer" window.
5. Double-click on the "Econ302 on 'Dragon' (Z:)" drive icon to open that directory.
6. Copy your EViews file to the appropriate folder. (For example, "PS1" for the first problem set.) Make sure you keep a personal copy in your own network directory as well. Please name your file with your Wesleyan username (e.g. "asmith.wf1"); separate two usernames with an underscore (e.g. "kmarx_fengels.wf1") for joint work. (Since there will be separate folders for each assignment, you do not need to add "ps1" or anything else to the filename.)

The EViews workfile is not a substitute for complete, written answers to the empirical questions on the problem sets. Make sure that you answer each part of the EViews question completely in the typed or written answers that you submit. Included printed copies of tables or graphs as necessary for a complete answer.

Below is the schedule for the problem sets. In general, you will have at least two weeks to complete a problem set. Please budget your time accordingly, as the problem sets are unlikely to be able to be completed (or completed well) overnight. All problem sets are due on Wednesdays: I prefer that you submit them at the beginning of class, but they must be placed in the Econ 302 slot in the alcove by 4 PM on Wednesdays. Late problem sets will not be accepted; neither will those submitted to the CA. Skipping class to work on a problem set is ill-advised.