AT Micro/Macro Economics

It’s December, 2008 and you’re home  from your freshman year at Tufts University  for Christmas vacation.  At dinner last night, your father told you that Lehman Brothers went into bankruptcy and that the economy is in crisis.  You hadn’t given it much thought as you’ve been focused on surviving the combination of partying and studying you’ve experienced in your first three months away from home.  You therefore listen impassively, wondering how this is the slightest bit relevant to you.  It hits you when your father tells you that the family lost a great deal of money in its investments and that he’s been laid off.  He tells you not to worry, but he’s concerned as to how he can pay for your college, as well as your sister and brother’s tuition at the Lab School.   You didn’t sleep much last night, as you start to think of how you can help your family.  You’re enjoying your college experience, but don’t want to be a burden to your parents. ...

Schedule for Week of 2/24 KEY DATES: 3. On Friday, Feb. 28, Bruce Cohen will speak to us on starting a business. 4. On Friday, March 7th your second research paper is due that will incorporate a behavioral experiment or the creation of a game theory game that you will actual test.  PLEASE SEE THE ABOVE POSTING that explain the requirements for the project in detail. 5. On Friday, March 14th, Stuart Litwin will speak to us about secularization and the financial crisis. DAY 1: We will read and discuss an article from the Economist on the growth of Chicago's tech sector ( http://www.economist.com/blogs/schumpeter/2013/12/chicagos-technology-sector ) .   HOMEWORK: Read Macro chapter 13. DAY 2: We will discuss Macro chapter 13 (Monetary Policy). DAY 3: We will watch and discuss an interview with Larry Fink, CEO of one of the largest money management firms in the world. HOMEWORK: Read Bruce Cohen's piece about the steps in starting a business in preparatio...

AT Economics / Winter Quarter Research Project Your task this quarter is to construct an experiment that will demonstrate something about daily economic behavior. You will work in pairs for this project. Stage 1: Define the question you want to ask. Dan Ariely’s Predictably Irrational , as well as the companion pieces The Upside of Irrationality and The Honest Truth About Dishonesty , provide examples of such initial questions: for instance, what effect does being “free” have on the attractiveness of a given item or set of items? To what extent are people’s choices about value based on “anchoring” from a popular brand or company, such as iTunes offering songs at $0.99? An alternative approach is to create a decision scenario based on “game theory.” Examples of such economic games can be found in chapter 20 of Colander’s Micro textbook. Stage 2: Define the method of answering your question. You will likely approach this stage as a series of questions that you po...

EYE-OPENER OF THE WEEK: If you want to make peace, you don't talk to your friends. You talk to your enemies. Moshe Dayan KEY DATES: 1. On Friday, Feb. 28th, you will have a quiz on chapters 11 and 12 in Colander. There will be no essay. 2. On Wednesday, Feb. 19, your thesis and methodology paragraph is due for your research paper. 3. On Friday, Feb. 28, Bruce Cohen will speak to us on starting a business. 4. On Friday, March 7th your second research paper is due that will incorporate a behavioral experiment or the creation of a game theory game that you will actual test.  PLEASE SEE THE ABOVE POSTING that explain the requirements for the project in detail. 5. On Friday, March 14th, Stuart Litwin will speak to us about secularization and the financial crisis. CLASS ONE: we will review Colander's argument in chapter 11 that the United States is suffering from structural stagnation. HOMEWORK: please read chapter 12 in Colander, The Financial Sector of the Economy. ...

Schedule for the week of February 10 NOTE: Friday (2/14) classes will not meet on account of the Winter Break day. Classes also will not meet on Monday, 2/17 on account of Presidents' Day. REMINDERS: We will have guest speakers on Friday, February 28 and Friday, March 14. The topics will be starting a business and the financial crisis, respectively. LONG: Mr. Disantis's class will write a short essay (30 minutes) on the concept of GDP. Mr. Janus's classes will read a New York Times article, "The Middle Class Is Steadily Eroding" ( http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/03/business/the-middle-class-is-steadily-eroding-just-ask-the-business-world.html ). DAY 1: Mr. Janus's classes will have a quiz on chapters 9 & 10 of Macro. Mr. Disantis's class will discuss chapter 10 of Macro. HOMEWORK: Read chapter 11 of Macro (Structural Stagnation Policy Debate). DAY 2: Discussion of chapter 11. HOMEWORK: Read Wheelan chapter 11 (International Economic...

EYE-OPENER OF THE WEEK: You can never be too skinny or too rich. Babe Paley  KEY DATES: 1. During the first class period of the week we will have a quiz on chapters 6 and 7. You will also be asked to write an essay on the article, Degrees of Value: Making College Pay Off.  2. On Friday, Feb. 28, Bruce Cohen will speak to us on starting a business. 3. On Monday, Feb. 10 you will have a quiz on chapters 9 and 10. No essay. 4. On Friday, March 7th your second research paper that will incorporate a behavioral experiment or the creation of a game theory game that you will actual test is due.  You should review the literature of your topic and your thesis should be original. 5. On Friday, March 14th, Stuart Litwin will speak to us about secularization and the financial crisis. THE LONG PERIOD: we will read the article, Retailers Ask: Where Did Teenagers Go? CLASS ONE: QUIZ on chapters 6 and 7 with an essay on   Degrees of Value: Making College Pay Off....