Welcome Economics 220. Macroeconomics is the study of the large-scale variables we use to measure the economy, such as interest rates, inflation, unemployment, investment and many others. The aim of this class is to:

• define these variables
• describe how these variables move over time, such as over the business cycle
• discuss the relationship between variables, such as interest rates and investment

A relationship between two or more variables is called a "model". You can really think of a model as a story. The model makes predictions such as "when X goes up, we expect to see Y go down". This class will be an extended exercise in modelling macroeconomic variables- in macroeconomic story-telling.

In a sense, this class is covering the same ground that we covered in Economics 120. However the modelling emphasis in this class will be much stronger and requires that students have fully internalized the material from Eco 120.

Our book is Blanshard and Sheen "Macroeconomics". The book has a website at:

http://wps.pearsoned.com.au/blanchardsheen

The website has some study guides and self-quizzes.

News

• Tutorial readings will be contained in the tutorial reading list below.
• Class on 8th March 2005 will be rescheduled. The make-up class for March 8th will be on Friday, 11th March, from 12 noon to 1:50pm in C2-117.

Links

Subject outline

Lecture notes

Tutorial reading list/exercises

Practice problems (and answers)

Readings links

Research links