Frequently Asked Questions

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General Course Information

What is this course about?

This course introduces macroeconomic concepts such as GDP, CPI, unemployment rates, and fiscal and monetary policies. It focuses on analyzing the economy as a whole and understanding short-term and long-term economic fluctuations.

Who is the instructor?

Professor: Matt Lang

Email: langm@ucsb.edu

Office Hours:

  • Wednesdays, 2:00-3:30 PM, North Hall 3032
  • Coffee Hours (location varies): Fridays, 1:00-2:00 PM
  • Coffee Hours Sign-up at https://shorturl.at/eYOXy

What are the key course goals?

  • Measure the health of the economy.
  • Analyze economic shocks and their consequences.
  • Understand and evaluate fiscal and monetary policies.

Course Logistics

Where and when are lectures?

Lectures are held in Campbell Hall on Mondays and Wednesdays, from 12:30-1:45 PM.

What happens if I miss a lecture?

Lecture slides and notes will be available after the lecture. The textbook chapters often follow the lecture content directly, so reviewing them is a good starting point. Use office hours to fill in gaps, but ensure you have reviewed the slides, notes, and textbook material before seeking assistance.

How are discussion sections structured?

Weekly small group activities focus on using AI tools to analyze economic concepts. Attendance and participation are required to receive credit. Must attend in 3 of the 5 weeks there are activities (weeks 2, 3, 6, 8, and 10) for full credit.

Grading and Assessments

How are the grades calculated?

  • Lecture Quizzes: 10% (9 quizzes released weekly, 40 - 50 correct answers for full credit)
  • Discussion Section Activities: 15% (top 3 of 5 activities count)
  • Midterm Exam: 30% (April 28th)
  • Final Exam: 40% (June 10th, 12:00-2:30 PM)
  • Participation: 5%

If you participate in at least 50% of the in-class TopHat questions, each correct quiz answer counts as 0.25% of your total grade and you receive full credit for answering 40 questions correctly throughout the term.

If you participate in less than 50% of the in-class questions, each correct quiz answer counts as 0.2% and you receive full credit for answering 50 questions correctly throughout the term.

What is the grading scale?

Because the grade in this course is used to determine your eligibility in the major, the department has instituted a Grading Guideline that recommends the following distribution:

A: 20%, B: 35%, C+: 10%, C: 20%

The course grading and difficulty is set up to adhere to these guidelines. However, it is possible that a higher than anticipated fraction of students perform above expectations. Therefore, the minimum grade you will receive will follow a standard grading scale:

A: 93-100%
A-: 90-93%
B+: 88-89%
B: 83-88%
B-: 80-83%
C+: 78-79%
C: 73-78%
C-: 70-73%
D+: 68-69%
D: 63-68%
D-: 60-63%
F: Below 60%

Course Materials

What materials are required?

  • TopHat Subscription: $25 for 4 months (quizzes and activities hosted here)
  • E-Textbook: Free on TopHat
  • Optional Textbook: Macroeconomics: Principles and Applications by Hall & Lieberman (available cheaply)

What if I have financial constraints?

Contact Professor Lang for potential accommodations.

Important Dates

  • Midterm Exam: April 28th
  • Final Exam: June 10th (12:00-2:30 PM)
  • Weekly Lecture Quizzes: Due before the first lecture of the week
  • Discussion Section Activities: Graded activities begin in Week 2