Download NYU Intl Econ Spring 2017 Course Outline

New York University
ECON UA-238 International Economics, Spring 2017
Tue-Thu 9:30-10:45 AM, GCASL Room C-95, Washington Square
Instructor:
Office:
Office Hours:
Henry Ma, [email protected]
Department of Economics, 19 West 4th Street, Room 503
Tue 12-1 PM, Thu 12:00-2:00 PM, or by appointment
Do feel free to drop by during my regular office hours to ask questions
about the lectures you’ve attended, or for any other reason. I would like
this course to be more than about just grades, and to be a learning
experience.
Lectures:
Please plan to arrive slightly ahead of time, so that you can be seated when
the lecture starts. I do not allow the use of laptops and cellphones in the
classroom, as they create a negative externality (please see Attached).
All materials will be distributed through the website: announcements;
lecture notes and additional readings (under “Resources”), and online
quizzes (under “Tests & Quizzes”).
NYU Classes:
Teaching Assistant: Carlos Lizama
Recitation Hours: Wed 9:30-10:45 SILV 411
Wed 11-12:15 KIMM 808
You can attend either session, regardless of your registration. I strongly
recommend that you attend the recitation sessions.
Textbook:
James Gerber, 2014, International Economics, 6th Ed (ISBN 978-0-13294939-2). Additional readings will be posted on NYU Classes or
distributed in class.
Prerequisites:
(ECON UA-1 or ECONUA-9001 or ECI UF-1001 or AP
MACROECONOMICS with score of 4 or 5) AND (ECON UA-2 or
ECON UA-9002 or ECI UF-1002 or ECON SHU-2 or ECON SHU-3 or
AP MICROECONOMICS with a score of 4 or 5). All with a minimum
grade of C.
Grading:
25% (Midterm Exam 01), 25% (Midterm Exam 02), 30% (Final Exam),
20% (online quizzes on NYU Classes). Grading follows the
Department’s guidelines: A (top 29%), B (middle 40%), C and
below (bottom 31%). About 6-8 quizzes will be posted on NYU Classes
during the semester.
Exams:
If you will be taking exams at the Moses Center, please inform me ASAP.
The first exam is on February 21; the second exam is on April 6. The final
exam is on May 11, 8-9:50 AM. This date is fixed by the Registrar. If you
think you might not be able to take the final exam on that date, then you
should not take this course.
Brief description
This course is an overview of how economies interact. It focuses on international trade in goods
and services, but we will also be looking at international finance. In international trade, we look
at why and how economies exchange goods and services; the impact of these exchanges on
growth, incomes, and jobs; and the role of public policy. In international finance, we look at how
an economy’s international balances are measured; how exchange rates are determined and the
impact of their movements; and how policy choices affect international balances.
I strongly recommend that you pay equal attention to the textbook and to the lectures. I will also
be frequently distributing additional readings related to the topics we cover.
The US and world economies are at a crossroads, and trade policy issues are likely to become
increasingly prominent and controversial. This course will enable you to intelligently and
objectively assess current debates and events. Hence, I strongly encourage everyone to keep up
with current economic and financial news by regularly reading The Economist, Financial Times,
or Wall Street Journal. Often, the concepts we discuss in the classroom will show up in the daily
economic and financial news. Our discussions will help you make sense of these events;
conversely, these events will help make clearer the concepts we discuss in class.
Date
01 01/24
Topics
Chapter
02 01/26
Introduction and Housekeeping;
Review of Microeconomics
Review of Microeconomics (contd.)
03 01/31
04 02/02
Ricardian Theory and International Trade
Ricardian Theory and International Trade
03
03
05 02/07
06 02/09
Ricardian Theory and International Trade
Factor Endowments and International Trade
03
04
07 02/14
08 02/16
Factor Endowments and International Trade
Factor Endowments and International Trade
04
04
09 02/21
10 02/23
Midterm Exam 01
Alternative Perspectives on Trade
05
11 02/28
12 03/02
Alternative Perspectives on Trade
Globalization and International Institutions
05
01-02
13 03/07
14 03/09
Trade Policy
Trade Policy
06
07-07
03/13-03/19
Spring Break
15 03/21
16 03/23
Trade Policy
Trade Policy
17 03/28
Import Substitution; “Resource Curse”
18 03/30
Import Substitution; “Resource Curse”
19 04/04
20 04/06
East Asian Trade and Development
Midterm Exam 02
16
21 04/11
22 04/13
Balance of Payments
Balance of Payments
09
09
23 04/18
24 04/20
Exchange Rates
Exchange Rates
10
10
25 04/25
26 04/27
Exchange Rates
European Union
10
14
27 05/02
28 05/04
US and World Economies
US and World Economies
13
13
05/11 8-9:50 AM
Final Exam
07
07-08
15, 17
Addl readings
15, 17
Addl readings