SyllabusF2009

Contact Information

Professor Jennifer Thacher
Econ 2005
277-1965
jthacher.at.unm.edu
Tues (10:45-11:45), Thurs (2:30-3:30), and by appointment
http://economics.thacher.us/

Textbooks and Class Website

There are two required texts for the course: Jehle and Reny (2001) and Varian (1992). Each are relatively readable micro-theory textbooks. For supplementary reading, I would recommend Velleman (2006), Silberberg and Suen (2001), Hoy et al. (2001), and an intermediate microeconomics textbook such as Varian (2003). Velleman (2006) provides a strong, readable introduction on how to do proofs. Silberberg and Suen (2001) provides a thorough introduction to using mathematics in economics. Hoy et al. (2001) also provides a thorough introduction to mathematical methods in economics, with lots of examples. Varian (2003) will provide additional intuition on microeconomics and has the advantage of being structured in the same way as Varian (1992).

All assignments will be posted on the class website. There is also a class calendar posted on this site that will list due dates and readings.

Course Description

This course is the first course in the micro theory core sequence. Together along with your other core courses in macroeconomics and econometrics, it will covers the economics basics. Armed with this knowledge, you will be equipped to then specialize in your field topics. The primary topics covered in this course are: consumer theory and producer theory. An emphasis will be placed on understanding how to prove concepts. In addition, this course will introduce you to open-source tools such as LaTex and GnuPlot. Introducing these tools will help you bridge the gap between economic theory and empirical application. 1 shows a tentative list of chapters to be covered.

Teaching Philosophy

My role as instructor is not to teach you all the material. Rather, my role is to help guide you as you teach yourself. Both while in graduate school and after graduate school, you will have to teach yourself new skills and economic methods. This class will attempt to ease the transition between undergraduate and graduate learning. With this in mind, I will provide structure through assignments and quizzes so that you clearly understand what you need to learn. When I teach, I will attempt to be concrete and clear. However, much of what I will expect you to learn you must teach yourself. I will assign reading and assignments on certain topics that I will not talk about in class but which you will be responsible for learning.

This mindset should also affect how you approach your homework assignments. The point of the assignments is not to get the ''right'' answer; it is to learn how to approach and think through the problems. Remember: when you are working on a real economic problem, there will be no answer key available that you can look at to see if you got the right answer. You need to become the most critical judge of whether the work you have done is logical, thorough, and correct. Working with other students on the assignments, discussing how you approached the problem, and explaining your work will be helpful. It is only when you can explain and defend what you did that you really understand it. However, just meeting with other students and trading answers will not help your understanding or grade.

In-class activities and problem-solving will also be an important component of the class.

Core theory courses are difficult. Recognize that much of the semester you may feel overwhelmed. Keep it in perspective and recognize that the process of becoming a scholar means opening yourself up to critique.

Grading

There will typically be weekly assignments and quizzes every two to three weeks. (See Table 2 for the quiz dates.) In addition, there will be a midterm exam and a comprehensive final. Table 3 shows how your grade will be calculated.

If your assignment is turned in after the beginning of class but within 24 hours, your grade will go down by 25%. Thus, if you scored 100% but turn it in within the next 24 hours, you will receive an 75%. For every additional 24 hour block, your grade will go down 25%. Do not ask for exceptions to this rule; that's my story and I'm sticking to it. Your lowest scoring assignment and quiz will be dropped. If for any reason you are unable to turn in one assignment or take one quiz, this will count for your dropped work.

Policies

I take academic honesty very seriously. Cheating or plagarism is potentially punishable by a failing grade for the course and referral to the university. Submitting or copying other's work or not appropriately citing other's work is considering cheating.

If you qualify for accommodations because of a disability, please submit to me a letter from Accessibility Services (7-3506) by the second week of class so that your needs may be addressed.

If you have a conflict between religious observance dates and course examinations or assignments, you must notify me two weeks in advance so that your needs may be addressed.

If you have more than three examinations scheduled in any one day, you may notify the instructor of the last examination listed a month before finals, and an alternate day will be scheduled.

In case you were curious.....
I'm originally from Whittier, CA. Whittier's four claims to fame are: (1) Richard Nixon was raised there; (2) Lou Henry Hoover (the President's wife) was born there; (3) It is named after the abolitionst Quaker poet, John Greenleaf Whittier; and (4) The epicenter of the 1987 earthquake was in Whittier. My `accent' comes from the fact that my mom is English and my dad is from Boston. I'm the first person in my family to go to college. I earned a B.A. in Economics and History from the University of California at Davis and an MA and PhD from the University of Colorado at Boulder in Economics. I am an environmental economist who focuses on survey research. This semester my research focuses on water infrastructure and invasive weeds. Call me Professor Thacher or Dr. Thacher but not Mrs. Thacher.

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