Course Overview
Course Description:
This course develops theoretical and empricial tools for understanding the macroeconomy. An emphasis is placed on reconciling various macroeconomic models with the "stylized facts" of the data. The course begins with the study of long-run economic growth, both over time and across countries. Attention is then given to modern approaches to consumption, investment, international transactions, money demand, and labor markets. These are distilled into simple general equilibrium models, with Neo-Classical and (New) Keynesian variants. Critiques of both schools of thought are explored. Finally, the efficacy of traditional countercyclical policy actions is examined in detail.
Material covering recent events, both within the U.S. and abroad, is regularly discussed. Upon completion of this course, students should be capable of an informed analysis of current macroeconomic issues. They also should be prepared for upper-level electives on a variety of macroeconomic subjects.
Logistical Information:
- Time: Mondays and Wednesdays, 11:00 AM – 12:20 PM (section 02);
Time: Mondays and Wednesdays, 1:10 AM – 2:30 PM (section 01) - Location: PAC 107 (Public Affairs Center)
- Instructor: Michael S. Hanson, mshanson@wesleyan.edu
- Office Hours: Mondays, 2:40 – 4:00 PM; Tuesdays, 10:30 – 11:50 AM; or by appointment.
- Course Assistants:
- Tom Bridges, tbridges@wesleyan.edu; Tuesdays, 4:30–6 PM, PAC 107
- Linda Caparyan, lcaparyan@wesleyan.edu; Mondays, 8–9 PM, PAC 413
- Stephen Lee, salee@wesleyan.edu; Tuesdays, 8–10 PM, SC 139
About this Web Site:
This web site is perpetually under construction. As the semester progresses, the number of incomplete portions should decline significantly. Questions about this web site should be sent to me via e-mail.
To navigate through this web site, use the menus at the left. The upper menu is static, and links to the major parts of this site. The lower menu is dynamic, and updates to reflect additional links (frequently, additional lecture topics) that fall under the general heading currently selected in the upper menu.
Finally, this web site makes extensive use of Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), a web standard adopted in the mid-1990's. With the exception of certain Microsoft products, every major web browser released during the 21st century supports CSS. Before contacting me with questions about the layout of this web site, please confirm that any problems are not due to a non-compliant browser.
Copyright © 2002–2003, Michael Steven Hanson