ECON C2002 - Principles of Macroeconomics

Transfer Status

CSU/UC

Prerequisite

Placement as determined by the college’s multiple measures assessment process or completion of a course taught at or above the level of elementary algebra.

Unit(s)

3.00

• Lecture: 51.00 Contact hours/102.00 Out of class hours/153.00 Total hours/3.00 Unit(s)
• Total: 51.00 Contact hours/102.00 Out of class hours/153.00 Total hours/3.00 Unit(s)

Course Description: An introductory course using models of the domestic and international economy to understand national income, unemployment, inflation, economic growth, inequality, the financial system, and monetary, fiscal, and other economic policies. (C-ID ECON 202).

Upon successful completion of this course, the student should be able to:

1. Interpret and analyze domestic and international macroeconomic data.
2. Apply macroeconomic models to explain economic issues and outcomes.
3. Analyze the effects of macroeconomic policies.
4. Explain the function of the central bank and the banking system.

Topic Titles / Suggested Time Topic

Lecture

1. Class Activities
2. Discussion
3. Homework: Students are required to complete two hours of outside-of-class homework for each hour of lecture
4. Instructor Demonstrations
5. Lecture
6. Reading Assignments

1. Assessments for this course will include both formative and summative assignments that may include some or all of the following:
   
   Exams and Quizzes containing one or more:
   • Multiple Choice questions
   • Short answers
   • Problem Solving
   • True/False
   • Essays
   
   Other Assessments:
   • Problem sets
   • Online or in-class discussions
   • Presentations
   • Group projects
   • Experiments
   • Current event analysis
   • Term papers
   
   Assessed written work may include any of the following (colleges are encouraged to work with local CSU and UC departments to determine writing requirements):
   • Current event analysis
   • Discussion boards
   • Essay questions on exams
   • Term papers
   
   Methods of evaluation are at the discretion of local faculty.

Reading Assignments

1. Read the textbook chapter on Monetary Policy to gain an understanding of the Federal Reserve System. Be able to explain how monetary policy works in the AS/AD model as well as describe how the Fed changes the supply of money through open market operations. In addition, understand the yield curve and explain how its shape reflects the limit of the Fed’s ability to control the economy.
2. Read the textbook chapter on Measuring the Aggregate Economy. Be able to describe GDP and identify the expenditure components of aggregate output. Learn how to distinguish between “net” and “gross” and between “national” and “domestic.” Explain how profit is the key to the equality between aggregate income and aggregate production.

Writing Assignments

1. Complete the assigned reading from the text and assigned articles and compose a 5–6-page essay which addresses the following: the difference between the long-run framework and the short-run framework, and relevant statistics about growth, business cycles, unemployment and inflation. Relate the target rate of unemployment to potential income.
2. Complete the assigned reading from the text and assigned articles and compose a 5–6 page essay which addresses the following: the historical development of macroeconomics, and the shape of the aggregate demand curve and what factors cause it to shift. Explain how dynamic feedback effects can destabilize the economy and discuss the limitations of the macro policy model.

Out-of-Class Assignments

1. Complete the assigned reading from the text, assigned articles and lecture notes and complete the chapter quiz for the Production Possibility Model, Trade and Globalization.
2. Complete the assigned reading from the text, assigned articles and lecture notes and complete the chapter quiz for The Multiplier Model.

Tucker, I. (2023). Economics for Today. Cengage, 11th. 9780357720936.

Stevenson, B. & Wolfers, J. (2023). Principles of Economics. Macmillan, 2nd. 9781319419899.

Schneider, G. (2023). Macroeconomic Principles and Problems: A Pluralist Introduction. Routledge, 1st. 9780367024819.

Rittenberg, L., & Tregarthen, T. (2023). Principles of economics. Flat World Knowledge, 1st. 9781453341292.

Parkin, M. (2023). Economics. Pearson, 14th. 978013765062.

McConnell, C., et al. (2019). Economics: Principles, Problems and Policies. McGraw-Hill, Brief. 9781260324914.

Mankiw, N. G. (2024). Principles of Economics. Cengage Learning, 10th. 9780357722718.

Krugman, P. & Wells, R. (2024). Economics. Macmillan, 7th. 9781319480806.

Hubbard, R. G., & O’Brien, A. P. (2025). Economics. Pearson, 9th. 9780138300036.

Frank, R. (2024). Principles of Economics. McGraw-Hill, Evergreen. 9781265459314.

Cowen, T., & Tabarrok, A. (2024). Modern Principles of Economics. Macmillan, 6th. 9781319482589.

Coppock, L. & Mateer. (2026). Principles of Economics. Norton, 5th. 9781324115076.

Colander, D. (2025). Economics. McGraw-Hill, 12th. 9781266468438.

Arnold, R., et al. (2023). Economics. Cengage, 14th. 9780357720370.

Zero Cost Textbook

Greenlaw, S., Shapiro, D., & MacDonald, D. (2025). Principles of Economics 3e. (OER). https://openstax.org/details/books/principles-economics-3e

The CORE Econ Team. (2025). The Economy 2.0. CORE Econ. (OER). https://books.core-econ.org/the-economy/index.html#ebook-features

Other Learning Materials

These are representative texts. Texts used by individual institutions and even individual sections will vary.

These are two-semester textbooks covering both Macroeconomics and Microeconomics. The one-semester edition covering only Macroeconomics is acceptable as is any other equivalent textbook, including an OER textbook.

Economics (Masters Required)