Online Courses
Economics 202: Introduction to Macroeconomics
The severe economic downturn that began in 2008 has increased interest in economy-wide assessment of economic activity. The persistent high levels of unemployment and high national debt levels have challenged policy makers to implement workable solutions. Will the economy experience deflation, or falling price levels, as a result, or will high growth rates of monetary measures lead to inflation rate increases?
Economics 202 online provides a foundation for economic analysis along with a framework with which national economic measures can be understood. The financial markets are examined both from a personal portfolio management perspective and from the viewpoint of not only how national asset prices are determined, including nominal and real interest rates, stock market prices, and currency exchange rates, but also from the view of how the resulting asset prices affect the national economy.
By the end of a successful course, students will have developed analytical skills allowing them to be capable of understanding and assessing economic events related to the national economy. Students will understand the mechanisms determining inflation, interest rates, unemployment, exchange rates, and other similar macroeconomic measures. They will be able to formulate and assess fiscal and monetary policy proposals. Students will know the factors that cause the economy to grow in the long-run leading to higher living standards. They will understand how and why policies either enhance or inhibit such economic growth.
