4000 East 30th Avenue

Eugene, OR 97405

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ECONOMICS USA: PRINCIPLES OF ECONOMICS TELECOURSE

SYLLABUS

Welcome to LCC's Economics USA: Principles of Economics telecourse! This packet outlines the course content and requirements. Please read this packet thoroughly!

COURSE TITLE: Economics USA: Principles of Economics Telecourse

COURSE NUMBER: Econ 200 CREDITS: 3

REGISTRATION NO: 30512 (main campus); 30513 (Cottage Grove); 30514 (Florence)

INSTRUCTOR: Phil Martinez

PHONE: (541) 463-5158 FAX: (541) 463-4160

OFFICE HOURS: Daily 10AM to 11AM, TTh 9-10AM and by appointment, Building 20

E-MAIL: martinezp@lanecc.edu

INSTRUCTOR/COURSE WEBPAGE: http://teach.lanecc.edu/martinezp/EconHome.htm

INSTRUCTOR CONTACT:

I may be reached by phone, fax or e-mail. If I am out please leave your name, phone number and any message or question you have. I will return your call. Additionally, I am available in my office as noted above. Students will also have the opportunity to attend two optional study sessions as scheduled below. Please, feel free to contact me with any questions you may have.

VIEWING SCHEDULE: See Attached AT&T Broadband Cable 23 schedule, Station Phone # 463-5319.

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

This is the first of the three economic principles courses offered at LCC and is a pre-requisite for ECON 201 and ECON 202. In this introductory class the student is introduced to the basic tools and concepts used in modern economics. In particular, the course introduces the use of graphs; the importance of scarcity; the measurement of economic activity; the role of prices, supply and demand; the business cycle, unemployment and inflation. The course may also briefly introduce current economic policy issues e.g. pollution, taxation, poverty and inequality, and international trade.

COURSE OBJECTIVES:

This course is designed to prepare students for future economics courses (ECON 201 and ECON 202) as well as to enable students to better understand and evaluate economic policy debates. The objectives of the course are for the student:

1. to master the basic economic tools, terms and concepts.

2. to evaluate economic issues and policies utilizing basic economic methods.

3. to become prepared to take ECON 201 and ECON 202.

4. to begin to think "economically": There is no such thing as a free lunch!

REQUIREMENTS:

Due to the brevity of the videos in this course and to the higher standards required to meet the requisite criteria for preparation for Econ 201 and Econ 202, students are required read a packet of articles (in addition to the required text). Additionally, students will be required to complete one homework assignment. Students enrolled in the course are required to:

1. view all 10 videotaped lessons;

2. complete all assigned reading in both the required text and the required packet (see below for further detail);

3. complete and return the assignment to the instructor by the due date;

4. complete all exams as scheduled.

REQUIRED TEXTS:

1. Economics USA, E. Mansfield & N. Behravesh, 5th Edition (available in the LCC Bookstore)

2. ECONUSA/MARTINEZ packet of articles (available to read or copy at LCC Main Campus Library and at all Outreach Centers and Campuses.)

GRADING

Course grades will be based on two exams and 1 homework assignments, 300 total points :

ASSIGNMENT	MATERIAL COVERED	POINTS	DATE DUE
Assignment 1	Week 1 and Week 2	50 points	Th. Jan. 23
Optional Review Session	material thru Week 5		M. Feb 3
Midterm Exam	material thru Week 5	100 points	Feb.10 - Feb.13
Optional Review Session	material Wk 6 thru Wk 10		M. Mar. 10
Final Exam	over all material	150 points	Th. Mar.13 - W. Mar.19

ASSIGNMENTS: All the assignments are attached to this Syllabus. If you are missing any assignments please contact the instructor. Assignment 1 must be recieved in the Social Science Dept. no later than the due date identified above. Assignment 1 may be hand delivered, mailed, faxed or e-mailed. All your answers and work must be legible. Therefore, be certain that assignments sent by fax are written dark enough to properly transmit. Be certain that all e-mailed assignments are formatted to be accessed by MSWord 6.0. Assignment 1 received after the due date will have 5% OF THE POINTS DEDUCTED for each day the assignment is late.

EXAMS: Both exams will be given in the Social Science Written Testing Lab:

LOCATION: ELEX 106

HOURS: Monday to Thursday 10AM to 8PM, Friday 10AM to 5PM.

You may take each exam at your convience during the scheduled time. You should always allow at least 1 hour for each exam, so you should never arrive for an exam after 7PM Monday through Thursday, or after 4PM on Friday.

Both exams may also be taken at the following LCC Centers during their normal operating hours. Students choosing to take the exams at the Centers MUST INFORM THE INSTRUCTOR OF THEIR CHOICE AT LEAST 10 DAYS PRIOR TO THE FIRST SCHEDULED DATE OF THE EXAM.

• Downtown Center, Eugene
• LCC Cottage Grove Outreach Center, 5th and Washington, Cottage Grove
• LCC Florence Outreach Center, 3149 Oak, Florence
• LCC Community Learning Centers:
  • Churchill High School 1850 Bailey Hill, Eugene

    Thurston High School 333 58th Street, Springfield

    Willamette High School 1801 Echo Hollow Rd., Eugene

    Oakridge High School 47997 West 1st Street, Oakridge

If due to an emergency, you are unable to take an exam when it is scheduled you must contact the instructor to re-schedule. Additionally, the exam MUST BE TAKEN WITHIN TWO DAYS of the scheduled time to earn full credit. On the third day, 10% OF THE POINTS EARNED WILL BE DEDUCTED PER DAY from the points scored on the exam.

Letter grades will be given on a percentage basis. Plus and minus grades will be given within the ranges below, based upon the distribution of final course scores.

OPTIONAL REVIEW SESSIONS. There will be two optional review sessions provided during the term. While these are optional, I strongly recommend attendance since I have added a lot of material to raise the analytical level of the tapes and text to match those of the other Econ 200 courses. These will be the only times to personally interact with me other than through electronic media or during an office visit.

ENROLLMENT, WITHDRAWALS, INCOMPLETES, NO CREDIT. Students are academically and financially responsible for maintaining their own registration status in the course.

• Telecourse students must obtain the the telecourse syllabus and complete a blue student information card before the end of the first week of classes.
• If students enroll after the first week of classes they must immediately contact the instructor and the Distance Learning Department to ensure proper enrollment and to obtain the syllabus and complete the student information card.
• Students wishing to withdraw prior to Nov. 20, may do so directly via Class Line (see LCC's Schedule Classes for instructions) according to official withrawal procedures. Students requiring an Incomplete or No Credit grade must contact the instructor for approval. All registration changes are governed by the policies in the LCC Catalog.
• Any tuition refund is based upon the date of official withdrawal. It is the student's responsibility to officially drop classes. See the current LCC Class Schedule for refund policies.

DISABILITY SUPPORT SERVICES

If you need support or assistance because of a disability, you may be eligible for academic accommodations through Disability Services. For more information, contact Disability Services at (541) 463-5150 (voice) or 463-3079 (TTY), or stop by Building 1, Room 218. Contact: Nancy Hart, ext. 3010.

VIEWING THE VIDEO TAPES

Taking a telecourse requires a disciplined and controlled environment. Watching each program will require your undivided attention. It is wise to prepare yourself by doing all the steps indicated in the student telecourse manual.

There will be one 30 minute program telecast on AT&T Broadband Cable 23 each week. (See schedule for exact times). If you have any technical difficulties recieving Cable 23, please call the station at 463-5319.

The videos are also availble for viewing at all of the following locations, during their normal operating hours:

• LCC Library
• Downtown Center, Eugene
• LCC Cottage Grove Outreach Center, 5th and Washington, Cottage Grove
• LCC Florence Outreach Center, 3149 Oak, Florence
• LCC Community Learning Centers:

Churchill High School 1850 Bailey Hill, Eugene

Thurston High School 333 58th Street, Springfield

Willamette High School 1801 Echo Hollow Rd., Eugene

Oakridge High School 47997 West 1st Street, Oakridge

WEEK 1 (JAN.6)

VIEW: Program 1: Resources and Scarcity

READ: Economics USA

• Prologue - Economic Problems: A Sampler (Pg.1 -7)
• Chapter 1 - What Is Economics? (Pg.9-33)

ECONUSA/MARTINEZ

• The Purpose of Business in the 21st Century
• Working with Graphs

HOMEWORK: Questions 1 and 2 in Assignment 1

 

WEEK 2 (JAN. 13)

VIEW: Program 2 - Markets and Prices

READ: Economics USA

• Chapter 2 - Markets and Prices (Pg.34 - 61)

ECONUSA/MARTINEZ

• Article 4 - Supply and Demand

HOMEWORK: Questions 3,4 and 5 in Assignment 1

 

WEEK 3 (JAN. 20)

ASSIGNMENT 1 DUE JAN. 23

VIEW: Program 3 - U.S. Economic Growth: Gross National Product

READ: Economics USA

• Chapter 3 - National Income and Product (Pg.63 - 80)

ECONUSA/MARTINEZ

• Article 5 - If the GDP Is Up, Why Is America Down?

 

 

WEEK 4 (JAN. 27)

VIEW: Program 4 - Booms and Busts

READ: Economics USA

• Chapter 4 - Business Fluctuations and Unemployment (Pg.81 - 107)

ECONUSA/MARTINEZ

• Study shows 'non-standard' workers are disadvantaged
• Frequency, size of cutbacks jarring 

WEEK 5 (FEB. 3)

REVIEW SESSION: MON. FEB. 31, 4:30 - 6:00, TBA - CALL INSTRUCTOR FOR LOCATION

VIEW: Program 7 - Inflation: How Did the Spiral Begin?

READ: Economics USA

• Chapter 7 - Inflation

ECONUSA/MARTINEZ

• Price index needs to reflect reality

 

WEEK 6 (FEB. 10)

MIDTERM EXAM FEB. 10 - FEB. 13, ELEX 106 or Outreach Centers

VIEW: Program 21 - Pollution: How Much Is A Clean Environment Worth?

READ: Economics USA

• Chapter 21 - Pollution and the Environment

ECONUSA/MARTINEZ

• Addressing Environmental Externalities, Economic Report of the President

 

WEEK 7 (FEB. 17)

VIEW: Program 24 - Reducing Poverty: What Have We Done?

READ: Economics USA

• Chapter 24 - Povert, Income Inequality and Discrimination

ECONUSA/MARTINEZ

• Rich-Poor Gap Held Widest in 40 Years, LATimes, 7/24/90
• Rift Widens Between Rich, Poor, Register-Guard, 3/21/96
• A Half Century of Falling and Rising Inequality
• Slowing Wage Growth and Widening Inequality, Economic Report of the President, 1994
• Economic Recovery Passes By Workers, Register-Guard, 9/6/98
• Missed by the Miracle: In midst of boom times, a Eugene family struggles to escape the ranks of the working poor, Register-Guard, 8/29/98
• Minimum Wage Lift Counters Inflation, Register-Guard, 8/30/98
• How the Pie is Sliced: America's Growing Concentration of Wealth, Ed Wolf

 

WEEK 8 (FEB. 24)

VIEW: Program 25 -Economic Growth: Can We Keep the Pace?

READ: Economics USA

• Chapter 25 - Economic Growth

ECONUSA/MARTINEZ

• Building a Better Economy: an interview with Lester Thurow

 

WEEK 9 (MAR. 3)

VIEW: Program 26 - Public Goods Are Responsibilities

READ: Economics USA

• Chapter 26 - Public Goods And The Role Of Government

ECONUSA/MARTINEZ

• Tax Shift (excerpt), Alan Thein Durning, Yoram Bauman
• Rich man, Poor man: Tax study on who pays what, fuels flat-rate debate

 

WEEK 10 (MAR. 10)

REVIEW SESSION MON. MAR 10, 4:30 - 6:00 TBA - CALL INSTRUCTOR FOR LOCATION

VIEW: Program 27 -International Trade: For Whose Benefit?

READ: Economics USA

• Chapter 27 -International Trade

ECONUSA/MARTINEZ

• Nations Find Free Trade A Little Too Free, Robert Samuelson
• The Capitalist Threat, George Soros

 

FINALS' WEEK (MAR. 17)

FINAL EXAM MAR. 13 - MAR. 19, ELEX 106 or OUTREACH CENTERS

 

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