ECON0011: Basic Microeconomic Concepts 2022/2023 - Term 2
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UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON
ECON0011: Basic Microeconomic Concepts
2022/2023 - Term 2
Taviton 16 (347) LT on Wednesdays 11h – 13h
Tutorials
Eight compulsory Face-to-Face Tutorials
Objective: The principal objective of this course is to equip students who have no prior background in economics with the most basic knowledge of microeconomic principles. Students will acquire a solid understanding of the behaviour of consumers and firms, a clear comprehension of the underpinnings of demand and supply, market structure, industrial policy, and ongoing economic debates. The use of graphs (and very basic mathematical formulae) will be used to better understand the material to be covered in 10 lectures and 8 tutorials. Illustrations using real-world examples will be delivered throughout the entire course.
Eligibility: This course is suitable for students from all UCL departments other than the Economics Department and the combined-studies degrees in Economics and for all non-economist affiliates. The course is NOT offered to students enrolled in:
Economics BSc (L100), Economics and Geography BSc (LL17), Economics and Statistics BSc (LG13), Philosophy and Economics BA (VL51), Mathematics with Economics BSc (G1L1), Mathematics with Economics MSci (G1LC), Economics and Finance BSc (GLN0), Statistics, Economics and a Language BSc (GLR0).
Pre-requisites: The only prerequisite for this course is A-Level Math or equivalent.
Tutorials: There are eight compulsory problem sets and tutorials
Reading Material: The set text for this course is Economics, 11th Edition, by David Begg, Gianluigi Vernasca,
Stanley Fischer and Rudiger Dornbusch (henceforth: BVFD), UK: McGraw-Hill. 2014. Students are strongly advised to consult regularly the online learning “connect”, which comes with the book.
Moodle: Lctures and slides and problem sets will be posted on Moodle before each lecture and two weeks prior to each of the eight tutorials. Lecture recordings will be uploaded after each lecture. Students are strongly advised to join the lectures prepared, i.e., having read the relevant chapter as per the lecture program below, and to submit their problem sets on time.
Assessment: % Final Mark
Coursework due on Friday 17th February@ 8h (8 AM) …………………… … ..........30%
Coursework guidelines
10-pages coursework/ term paper (all included).
This year’s theme is “Income, Substitution Effects, and their impact on demand for a commodity of your choice.
Examples:
• How does the income and substitution effect affect the demand for labour in poor and rich countries?
• How does the income and substitution effect affect the demand for clean energy across different income quantiles in the UK?
• Can one explain the income and substitution effect and their effect on demand for a Giffen good such as salt?
More general:
• The Core also has an example that might help you think about your topic (e.g., https://www.core-econ.org/the-economy/book/text/leibniz-22-03-01.html.
However, whilst theoretical examples abound, real-world examples is what you would need to focus your attention on; e.g., what’s behind the demand of any commodity – inferior, normal or luxurious.
Ideally, you can get real data on demand for a commodity of your choice. Please describe the theory and stylized facts first, then present the data and the conclusions. Whilst you must craft your research paper with tools from the lecture, but you must go beyond lecture material to obtain a high mark in this coursework /research paper.
You will find below a special block on this Moodle page which contains further guidelines and an example from a good coursework/term paper from last year.
Departmentally managed Timed Exam on Friday 24th March at 13h (1 PM). .. ………70%
You will find below a special block on this Moodle page which contains past exams. The duration of the exam will be 120 minutes total (i.e., 2 hours)
Lecture Program
- Introduction
BVFD Chapters 1 and 2:
Economics and the Economy
Tools of Economic analysis
- Demand, Supply, and the market
BVFD Chapter 3
Demand, supply, and the market
- Positive Microeconomics
BVFD Chapters 4
Elasticities of Demand and Supply
- Consumer choice and demand decisions
BVFD Chapter 5
- Introducing supply decisions
BVFD Chapters 6
- Costs and Supply
BVFD Chapter 7
- Perfect competition and pure monopoly
BVFD Chapter 8
- Market structure and imperfect competition
BVFD Chapter 9
- The labour markets
BVFD Chapter 10
- Debates
Minimum wages, rent controls, taxation and government revenues, tuition fees and subsidies, international trade, re-industrialisation and protectionism, government transfers in cash and in kind, hostile takeovers, private equity, and long-term investments, globalization and market power, regulation of natural monopolies, female participation in the labour force, saving and consumption trade-offs, externalities, and the environment.
2023-02-10