Department of Economics

Wright State University

Syllabus

Summer B, 2006

 

 

I.  Basics

 

Course:  EC 204-B01 -  Principles of Microeconomics

              6:05-9:25 p.m. – MW

 

Instructor:         Dr. John Blair

Office:              260 B Rike

Phone:              775-3484/775-3070

Office Hours:    2:00-3:00 MWF and by appointment

e-mail:              John.Blair@wright.edu

 

Text:   Colander, Microeconomics, 6th Edition, Irwin/McGraw Hill.

 

II.   Course Objectives and Description:

 

This course will serve as an introduction to economics and a more in-depth view of microeconomics—supply and demand, elasticity, market structures, behavior in markets for factors of production, market failure and the role of government.

 

III.   Evaluation Policy

           

Due to the summer time crunch, there will be only two exams as shown on the syllabus.   I may provide a curve on the exams.  The curve will be based on overall class performance and  your participation.  The curve will be designed to boost the scores of the top performers.  Those students with very weak performance will receive no help from the curve.

 

IV. Assignments

 

Week 1  (July 17-23) Introduction                                                        Colander, ch 1, 3, 4

 

Economics and Economic Reasoning

Supply and Demand

 

Week 2 (July 24-July 30)  Using Supply and Demand               Colander, ch. 5, 6

                        in Today’s World 

 

Using Supply and Demand

Price Elasticity of Demand

            Exam 1—40%

 

Week 3 (July 31-Aug 6)  Market Structure and Policy       Colander, ch 11, 12, 13

 

            Perfect Competition

            Monopoly

            Monopolistic Completion, Oligopoly and Strategic Pricing

 

Week 4 (Aug 7-Aug 13)  Factor Markets                                             Colander, ch 16, 17

 

            Land, Labor, and Capital

The difference between the mean (average) income and the median (middle)      income.

                       

 

Week 5 (Aug 14-16)    Government and Market Failure                        Colander, ch. 18

           

            Catch-up

            Review

            Final—60%  - Aug 16th