Department of Economics

ECN 160A

International Microeconomics

Summer Session II – 2021


Lectures:    Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday: 2:10 - 3:50 PM @ Canvas Zoom


Instructor

Name: Dr Dan Liu

Office: Canvas Zoom

Course Website: Canvas

**Course materials including syllabus, slides, assignments and answer keys will be uploaded under Files folder. It’s the students’ responsibility to check the course announcements and materials regularly.


Email: [email protected]

Office hours: Tuesday, Wednesday 4:00-5:00 PM, or by appointment @ Canvas Zoom


Sections: 

Thursday: 12:10 - 1:50 PM

Thursday: 2:10 - 3:50 PM


Teaching Assistant

Name: Irina Firsova

Office: Canvas Zoom

Email: [email protected]

Office hours: Tuesday, 10am-noon


Prerequisites

ECN 100A (Intermediate Micro Theory) or ARE100A (Intermediate Microeconomics)


This course is intended for Econ majors! Non-Econ majors advised to take 162.

Note: 160A/B will receive HALF credit if completed together with or after 162.

Note: 162 will NOT receive credit if 160A/B has already been completed.


Course Description

International exchange of goods and services is critical in the current interdependent world. A country’s growth rate and citizens’ well-being depend to a large extent on interactions with the rest of the world. We study international trade theories, trade restrictions and policies. We aim to understand why countries trade with each other, what are the impacts of trade on income and inequality, and how trade policies can affect trade and social welfare.


Textbook

Feenstra, Robert C. and Alan M. Taylor, International Economics, any edition.

Note: E-textbook available at Canvas Bookshelf.


Examinations

There will be one midterm exam and one final exam for this class. The midterm will count toward 40% of the grade. The final will count toward 50%. The final exam will focus on the material after the midterm. Both exams will be online via Quiz on Canvas.


Exam Dates

● Midterm Exam: Monday, August 23, online in class

● Final Exam: Wednesday, September 8, 2:00-4:00 pm, online

● Make up Exams:

○ There will be no make-up midterm exams. This means that the midterm exams are mandatory for all students. In case you provide documentation for a medical emergency, I will consider putting the weight of a missed midterm on the final exam. Thus, if you are sick on the day of a midterm and can give me a doctor’s note, I will consider carrying the weight from that midterm onto the final exam. The final exam would then account for 90% of your course grade.

○ No make-up final exam for any reason. Final exam date will not change so as to accommodate individual requests.


Homework Assignments

There will be four homework assignments. Each assignment will count toward 2.5% of the final grade, for a total of 10%. Assignments will be posted on the course website at least 7 days before the due date.


Guidelines for assignments

● Homework assignments must be submitted before the due. Late submissions will not be accepted under any circumstances.

● All homework assignments are to be completed/uploaded online using Canvas quiz/assignment function.

● You must turn in your own work for homework assignments although you are encouraged to work with your classmates. Identical (or essentially similar) assignments will receive a grade of zero. Make sure to acknowledge the contribution of others by putting their names on the front page of your assignment. For example, you can write: “I worked with Chris Martin.”


Grading Policy                                    Percentage of Final Grade

Homework Assignments                          10%

Midterm Exam                                        40%

Final Exam                                             50%


Objections to Grading

If you disagree with the grading of an assignment or an exam, you may submit it to your TA for a review. I will expect you to have a written argument for why you should be awarded more points and you must submit it to your TA within one week of receiving back the assignment or the exam. It will be re-evaluated and your grade may increase, stay the same or decrease.


Academic Integrity

It is required that you read and know the Code of Academic Conduct at UC Davis. This is available here http://sja.ucdavis.edu/files/cac.pdf and is also included at the end of the syllabus. Any episode of misconduct, plagiarism, unauthorized use of the course material, lying, intimidation and disruption in class will be reported. If a student is found responsible, I will sanction him/her in the most severe way, including an F in the course.


Tentative Agenda


WEEK
  TOPIC
ASSIGNMENT
1
  Class Introduction
  Ricardian Model of Trade

2
  Specific-Factor Model
  Heckscher-Ohlin Model
HW 1 Due
3
  Heckscher-Ohlin Model
  Foreign Outsourcing of Goods
  Midterm Review
HW 2 Due
4
  Midterm, August 23rd
  Tariffs, Quotas for Small Countries
HW 3 Due
5
  Tariffs for Large Countries
  Imperfect Competition
HW 4 Due
6
  Final Review
  Final Exam, September 8th