UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA Department of Economics
ECON 303: Macroeconomic Measurement Winter 2020
Instructor: Ashantha Ranasinghe Contact: [email protected]
Classes: Tuesday & Thursday: 9:30–10:50, CAB 239
Office hours: Tuesday & Thursday 2:00-3:00pm (9-21 Tory Building) Overview:
This course introduces students to examining and analyzing macroeconomic data across space and time. We will use macroeconomic models to guide our thinking, though the emphasis is on data collection, measurement and analysis. A key component of the course is replicating and analyzing macro statistics using more disaggregated data at the sectoral and micro level. We will use Excel and Stata (or related) to organize and analyze data.
Previous experience with such software is helpful but not necessary.
Textbook and attendance:
There is no required textbook for this course. As such, class attendance is critical for un- derstanding the material covered. I will provide relevant readings and slides related to the topics we cover. Students who miss a class are responsible for obtaining notes from a classmate.
Website:
Announcements, assignments and class related material will be posted on theeClasscourse webpage.
Grading:
Your final grade will be determined as follows:
Assignments (4): 10% each Mid-term : 25%
Final exam: 35%
The mid-term will take place on February 27 during class time. The final exam will be scheduled during the University exam period. The assignments will require a typed re- port and will involve solving simple macro models, collecting and analyzing data, assess-
ing your findings, and critiques of assigned readings. Assignment due dates will be an- nounced in class. The term tests and final exam are based on lectures, assigned readings, and assignments.
Students who miss a term-testdue to illnessand provide medical documentation, the weight of the test will be transferred to the final exam. Students are required to inform the in- structor promptly of their inability to write the test and provide documentation (Medical Declaration Form or medical note) within a week of the test. Students who do not meet these requirements will be assigned a mark of zero for the missed term-test. Students must email the instructor their assignment if they are unable to attend class on the due date (and before the start of class), and provide a physical copy of the assignment the next time they are in class. There are no make-up term tests or assignments.
Policies regarding connected devices: phones must be turned off at all times during class and put away.
Prerequisites for this course will be strictly enforced. Student registration in the class will be cancelled if prerequisites for this course are not met. As well, students should be aware of the circumstances under which credit cannot be received for this course (i.e. if you have taken an equivalent course, consult the University Calendar). It is your responsibility as a student to ensure you have the appropriate prerequisites for the course.
Grading Scale:
A+ = 90–100 C+ = 67–69
A = 85–89 C = 63-66
A- = 80-84 C- = 60-62 B+ = 77-79 D+ = 55-59
B = 73-76 D = 50-54
B- = 70-72 F = 0-49
The recommended grade distribution for third year courses is between B- to B+, note how- ever, that depending on circumstances the class average may lie outside of this interval.
2
Topics Covered(not necessarily in order):
1. Measuring GDP and its components 2. Business cycles and volatility
3. Unemployment and labour force participation
4. Government spending and taxes across income groups 5. Growth accounting and income differences across countries 6. Measuring human capital
7. Population growth and forecasts
8. GDP and non-standard proxies for development 9. Institutional quality
10. Inequality, economic mobility and redistribution 11. Firms, job creation, wages and employment shares 12. Firm level productivity
13. Trade across countries
Some topics may be omitted due to time constraints.
As per request of the University administration, please familiarize yourself with the fol- lowing:
• Policy about course outlines can be found in the Evaluation Procedures and Grading System section of the University Calendar.
• The University of Alberta is committed to the highest standards of academic integrity and honesty. Students are expected to be familiar with these standards regarding aca- demic honesty and to uphold the policies of the University in this respect. Students are particularly urged to familiarize themselves with the provisions of the Code of Student Behaviour (online at www.governance.ualberta.ca) and avoid any behaviour which could potentially result in suspicions of cheating, plagiarism, misrepresenta- tion of facts and/or participation in an offence. Academic dishonesty is a serious offence and can result in suspension or expulsion from the University.
• Audio or video recording, digital or otherwise, of lectures, labs, seminars or any other teaching environment by students is allowed only with the prior written consent of the instructor or as part of an approved accommodation plan. Student or instructor content, digital or otherwise, created and/or used within the context of the course is to be used solely for personal study, and is not to be used or distributed for any other purpose without prior written consent from the content author(s).
• There will be no make-up term-tests, exam or extra credit essays. If you are not able to take your term-test because of a medical reason, please submit the Medical Dec- laration Form to the Faculty. Late problem sets will not be accepted for any reason.
If you miss the final exam, you may apply to your Faculty for a deferred exam. Note that a deferred final exam will not be approved if a student, excluding the final exam, has completed less than half of the assigned work.
• The Faculty of Arts is committed to ensuring that all students, faculty and staff are able to work and study in an environment that is safe and free from discrimination and harassment. It does not tolerate behaviour that undermines that environment.
• If you have a condition that may require some classroom or exam modifications, please contact Accessibility Resources to obtain a determination as to what accom- modations should be made.
• The Academic Success Centre offers a variety of learning resources, including a va- riety of workshops in learning effective study and exam strategies.
4
• The Centre for Writers offers free one-on-one writing coaching to all students. Stu- dents can request consultation for a writing project at any stage of development, in- cluding completed and graded work.
• You may use a simple calculator for the exams. Programmable calculators will not be allowed.
