Course Description and Objectives:

This course applies the concepts and tools you learned in introductory economics courses to important issues facing the society today such as racial and gender discrimination, crimes,  causes and effects of rising health care cost, impact of federal budget deficits and growing  national debt, the Great Recession, the role of IMF in international financial crisis, impact of international trade on jobs and income inequality, climate change and environmental          sustainability.

Upon satisfactory completion of the course, you will gain a better understanding of some of the most important social issues through the eyes of an economist.  You will also have         developed a set of economic modeling tools for analyzing individual and aggregate economic conditions in a systematic way that thoughtfully informs individual decision making, civic     participation, and understanding of public policy.

Course Materials:

You don’t need to purchase a textbook for this course.  Required and recommended readings are given in the Reading List located at the end of the syllabus.

If you feel more comfortable following along the lectures and discussions with a textbook, consider getting a used copy of Guell, Issues in Economics Today, McGraw-Hill.

Grading Policy:

Your course grade is based on your performance on the following tasks:

Participation           Average Quiz Grade Highest Exam Grade Median Exam Grade Lowest Exam Grade

10%

15%

30%

25%

20%

Participation: Your participation and involvement is critical to a successful class experience. I expect everyone to attend and actively participate in every class.  If you will miss a class for a legitimate reason, e.g. school event, illness, and etc., email me beforehand to be excused.  If you have a true emergency and cannot email me at the moment, email me as soon as you finish taking care of the emergency to be excused from class.                                              If you miss a class, you are responsible for obtaining any missing lecture contents.  I expect  you to be proactive in making up for the class you miss.

Quizzes: Quizzes on assigned readings and course materials will be administered throughout the semester.  Lowest quiz grade will be dropped in the calculation of average quiz grade that goes into the computation of your course grade.

Exams: There will be 3 non-cumulative exams.  The highest exam grade will be weighted 30%, the median grade 25%, and the lowest grade 20%.

Exams may not be made up unless an urgent and legitimate reason can be demonstrated and relevant proof is provided.

The final course grade will be determined as follows:

A   >= 93%          A-  90% – 92.9%

B+  87% – 89.9%   B   83% – 86.9%   B-  80% – 82.9%

C+   77% – 79.9%  C   73% – 76.9%  C-   70% – 72.9%

D   60% – 69.9%

F   < 60%

Prerequisite: ECN101

Class Policies:

Academic Integrity: Syracuse University’s Academic Integrity Policy reflects the high value  that we, as a university community, place on honesty in academic work. The policy defines     our expectations for academic honesty and holds students accountable for the integrity of all  work they submit. Students should understand that it is their responsibility to learn about       course-specific expectations, as well as about university-wide academic integrity expectations. The policy governs appropriate citation and use of sources, the integrity of work submitted in  exams and assignments, and the veracity of signatures on attendance sheets and other          verification of participation in class activities. The policy also prohibits students from              submitting the same work in more than one class without receiving written authorization in    advance from both instructors. Under the policy, students found in violation are subject to      grade sanctions determined by the course instructor and non-grade sanctions determined by  the School or College where the course is offered as described in the Violation and Sanction    Classification Rubric. SU students are required to read an online summary of the University’s

academic integrity expectations and provide an electronic signature agreeing to abide by them twice a year during pre-term check-in on MySlice. For more information about the policy,        seehttp://academicintegrity.syr.edu.

Disability-Related Accommodations: If you believe that you need academic

accommodations for a disability, please contact the Center for Disability Resources.  You can   visit CDR (website https://disabilityresources.syr.edu/), located in 804 University Avenue,      Suite 303, or call (315) 443-4498 or TDD: (315) 443-1371 for an appointment to discuss your needs and the process for requesting academic accommodations. CDR is responsible for         coordinating disability-related academic adjustments and will issue students with documented Disabilities Accommodation Authorization Letters, as appropriate. Since academic                   accommodations may require early planning and generally are not provided retroactively,       please contact CDR as soon as possible.

Religious Observances:  SU religious observances policy, found at

https://policies.syr.edu/policies/university-governance-ethics-integrity-and-legal-                compliance/religious-observances-policy/, recognizes the diversity of faiths represented       among the campus community and protects the rights of students, faculty, and staff to        observe religious holidays according to their tradition.  Under the policy, students are          provided an opportunity to make up any examination, study, or work requirements that may be missed due to a religious observance provided they notify their instructors before the end of the second week of classes.

Communication: Be sure to regularly check your SU emails.  When you email me, please indicate that you are a student from ECN304 Economics of Social Issues