Macroeconomics

Exam number: 1641

Semester: from 3rd semester (Grundlagenausbildung)

Duration of the module: One semester

Form of the module (i.e. obligatory, elective etc.): Obligatory

Frequency of module offer: Each winter semester

Prerequisites: The lecture Macroeconomics (1640) will be offered as an online course in the winter semester 2020/2021. This results in the following setting:
All information is relevant for students who are listening to the course for the first time, but also for students who are in their second or third attempt! There will be no separate written exam with a 100% weighting on the exam in WS 2020/2021. All students must therefore also participate in the group work. All lectures and exercises will be offered via YouTube in the form of videos.
Multiple choice quizzes offer students the opportunity to check their learning success and encourage continuous learning. We also offer two office hours per week via Black Blue Button, during which the professor and/or the exercise leader are available for questions.
The grading takes place via

• three group works (3 - 5 students) and is included in the final grade with a weighting of 3 * 15% (= 45%). The group work is spread over the semester. The group works are to be submitted by email. Afterwards a quiz will be held on Moodle to test the knowledge and results of the group work. Every student has to participate in the quiz. The individual answers determine the partial grade.
• a final individual assignment, which will be included in the final grade with a weight of 55%. The individual assignment replaces the normally planned exam. For the individual assignment, the student has about 2 hours of processing time. Afterwards, the results are to be applied in a 30-minute Moodle Quiz.

The Excel program will also be part of the lecture/exercise. However, no classroom tutorial in a computer lab will be offered. The contents will also be taught via videos. The material will be tested in a group work (see above).

Applicability of module for other study programmes:
Obligatory or elective in other study programmes. For further information check regulations of the study programme.

Person responsible for module: Prof. Dr. Georg Stadtmann

Name of the professor: Prof. Dr. Georg Stadtmann

Language of teaching: English

ECTS-Credits (based on the workload): 6

Workload and its composition (self-study, contact time):
Contact time (lecture, tutorials etc.) 45 h; self-study: 135 h

Contact hours (per week in semester): 4

Methods and duration of examination:
Three group works 3 * 15 % (= 45 %) and individual assignment 55 %.

Emphasis of the grade for the final grade: Please check regulations of the study programme

Aim of the module (expected learning outcomes and competencies to be acquired):
Macroeconomics deals with aggregate economic phenomena like economic growth, the business cycle, unemployment and inflation. Can governments effectively influence these aggregates? Why do some countries grow faster than others? Why is European unemployment so high? This lecture analyzes basic macroeconomic models to provide answers to these and related questions.

Contents of the module:
1 Basic concepts of national income accounting
2 Short-run analysis
2.1 The goods market
2.2 Financial markets
2.3 The IS-LM model
3 Medium-run analysis
3.1 The labor market
3.2 The AS-AD model
3.3 The Phillips curve and the natural rate of unemployment

Teaching and learning methods:
Lecture with tutorials, self-studies

Literature (compulsory reading, recommended literature):
Olivier Blanchard, Macroeconomics 7th ed., Pearson, 2016 (older editions are also allowed).

Further information:
Registration in Moodle Viadrina required.