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G. Mateer
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ECON 200 Syllabus for G. Mateer — Spring 2019
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Principles of Economics
Volume 4, Issue 2 ECON 200: Principles of Economics Spring 2019
D I S A B I L I T Y A C C E S S
The University of Arizona encourages qualified people with
disabilities to participate in its programs and activities and is
committed to the policy that all people shall have equal access
to programs, facilities, and admissions without regard to
personal characteristics not related to ability, performance, or
qualifications as determined by University policy or by state or
federal authorities. If you anticipate needing any type of
accommodation in this course or have questions about
physical access let me know as soon as possible. I’m here to
help!
Course Overview
G. Dirk Mateer
University of Arizona
By signing up for this course, you have
accepted the responsibility of being an active
learner and of participating in the classroom. More
importantly, you need to be committed to learning
the subject matter. If you are not open to new
ideas, or are not committed, expect your grade to
reflect this. Moreover, your continued enrollment
in this course means that you accept these
responsibilities and are aware of the guidelines set
forth in the syllabus.
I want everyone to do well. Anyone can get an
A in this course – apply yourself and take
advantage of the opportunities to improve your
grade. It is my goal to help you understand the
topics and to do well on the exams. I realize that
you have a busy schedule and often face difficulty
in getting enough time to study. This makes it
even more important to get involved while you are
here. We are going to have fun but expect to work.
In the past, I have found that some students in my
courses have trouble on exams because they
So You Want to Be a
Millionaire?
It's easy, here is your chance.
In this class, you buy your grade. Therefore, you have to
earn enough income to afford the grade you would like. The
good news is that it is easy to make money in this course; the
downside is that if you don’t have quite enough money you
will have to settle for the next best grade. The primary way
of earning income is by doing well on the exams:
There are three non-cumulative exams. All of the exams will
consist of 40 questions. You skip three questions on each
exam and each question you skip are correct! No electronic
devices (headphones, watches, calculators, phones, etcetera)
are allowed on the exams.
Participation:
(1) Active Learning. We will participate in experiments,
simulations, and small group work designed to enhance your
intuition for economic problems. Whenever we utilize active
learning there will be participation dollars available. You can
earn approximately $10,000 each week by participating in
class.
(2) Random Attendance. At various times during the
semester a student will roll a die in order to determine the
participation points for those in attendance. If a 1 is rolled
everyone gets $1000, if a 2 is rolled $2000 is awarded, up to
a 6 where everyone gets $6000.
A Note About Participation Points: There are many more
participation points available throughout the semester than
$100,000 so don’t worry about missing any individual class.
You can earn up to $110,000 in participation in the course.
continued on page 2
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mistake my easy-going personality for an easy-
going examiner. So for your sake put in the time
that you need to really know the material.
Teaching Philosophy
One of the things I remember as an undergraduate
(and then graduate) student is the frustration
I often felt at the hands of professors. When I
decided to go into college teaching, I decided to
try to make the learning environment a place
where I would be happy if I was sitting in the
class. Each of the principles that follow is the
direct result of me asking how I would want to be
treated as a student. The rules give you a lot of
leeway. Please do not infer that I want you to miss
class! I just don't want you to come to class for the
wrong reasons.
(1) We endeavor to post the exam scores by the
next class period.
(2) As an adult, you have the right to decide when
to attend class and, in general, it is a poor
reflection on me if a large number of students
miss class regularly. However, this having been
said, you should view attendance in this course as
part of your job.
(3) You have the right to expect a timely response.
For your convenience, we offer 24-hour e-mail
turnaround M-F.
(4) You have the right to question the professor at
any time and expect that if I am wrong that I will
admit it and correct any mistakes made.
(5) You are not required to believe what I believe,
only to learn the material presented.
(6) You have the right to expect that the class will
start and end on time.
(7) You have the right to learn passively. I'm not
suggesting that this is the best way to learn, far
from it. Students who do choose to interact in the
classroom by asking questions and getting
involved invariably do better than those who just
take it all in! However, I will not force you to
participate by calling on you.
It is my hope that these policies will make you
feel more comfortable and create an environment
conducive for learning.
Grading Scale:
A $900,000 +
B $800,000 to $899,999
C $700,000 to $799,999
D $600,000 to $699,999
E $599,999 or less
We supply many ways for you to enhance your
grade during the semester: 3 skips on each
exam, 110% on participation, IQ gives you
unlimited time to earn 100% on every
assignment, plus there is extra credit too. If you
do not understand something, come visit us
during office hours – we are here to help!
continued from page 1
IM P O R T A N T IN F O R M A T I O N
Text:
Principles of Economics by Dirk Mateer and Lee Coppock,
ebook with InQuizitive, Second edition. Also, please
purchase a small pack of 3 x 5 index cards to answer class
questions and submit for participation points.
Course materials:
Are delivered digitally via D2L through the Inclusive Access
program. Please access the material through D2L the first
day of classes to make sure there are no issues in the
delivery, and if you are having a problem or question, it can
be addressed quickly. You automatically have access to the
course materials FREE through January 22, 2019. You
must take action (even if you have not accessed the
materials) to opt-out if you do not wish to pay for the
materials, and choose to source the content independently.
The deadline to opt-out is January 22, 2018. If you do not
opt-out and choose to retain your access, the cost of the
digital course materials will appear on your Bursars account.
Other Class Materials:
Login to D2L to access the redacted PPTs, class
announcements and other important information.
Got Questions? Get Answers:
200p email: econ200mateer@gmail.com
330p email: econ200questions330pm@gmail.com
Office hours:
The teaching team holds office hours throughout the
semester at various times and places on campus. Check the
announcement on D2L to get the help you need!
Missing Exams:
Every student is expected to take all three exams. No exams
may be taken early or made up. No exam scores are
dropped. If a student misses exam 1 or exam 2 (with a
University-approved excused absence) then exam 3 will be
reweighted to include the missed exam. If you miss any
exam without a University-approved excuse you
automatically receive a 0. The teaching team must be
notified about any University-approved absence prior to the
missed exam or you automatically receive a 0.
Course Description and Topics Covered:
ECON 200 is an introductory level class in both
microeconomics and macroeconomics. The first two thirds of
the course will cover microeconomics, including topics such
as foundations, comparative advantage, demand, supply,
elasticity, price controls, public goods, costs, competition,
monopoly, oligopoly, consumer theory and behavioral
economics. The last one third of the course will cover
macroeconomics, including topics such as GDP,
unemployment, inflation, growth, fiscal policy and monetary
policy.
Course Objectives: Equip students to take intermediate
courses, be knowledgeable decision makers, and able to
discern good economic policy.
Finally, if you are unable to participate fully in the
course we won’t hold it against you. We will calculate
your course letter grade two ways: one with
participation counted, one without, and we assign you
the higher of these two outcomes.
InQuizitive:
There are 18 IQ assignments posted throughout the
term. We only count your top 15 scores. Also, you can
keep answering IQ questions until your earn a 100%
on every assignment.
Extra Credit:
Media Project – Earn $10,000 or more in extra
credit. See page 5 for more details.
The Pre-Quiz/Post-Quiz – Complete these two
quizzes to earn up to $5,000 per quiz in extra
credit.
S C H E D U L E:
EXAM 1 ($200,000)
FEB 07 (CHAPTERS 1-4, 6)
EXAM 2 ($200,000)
MAR 26 (CHAPTERS 7-10, 13, 16)
EXAM 3 ($350,000 OR $450,000)
2P SECTION: MAY 6 @330P
330P SECTION: MAY 8 @330P
(CHAPTERS 17, 19-21, 24, 28-31)
INQUIZITIVE ($150,000)
DUE EVERY TUESDAY AT 11:59PM. WE
DROP YOUR THREE LOWEST SCORES.
PARTICIPATION ($110,000 OR $0)
THROUGHOUT THE SEMESTER.
OPTIONAL MEDIA PROJECT ($10,000+)
APR 11
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS:
Q: I want to bring something to eat and/or drink to class? Can that be done?
A: My overarching concern is the learning environment. If eating and/or drinking will help you stay alert I
am very much in favor of it. The only concern I have would be if you brought something that would
distract others (like Cheetos). If you do bring something to eat and/or drink, please dispose of it properly.
Q: I text 24/7, can I text in class discretely?
A: Yes. You are welcome to use electronic devices during lectures as long as they do not affect others.
NOTE: If this becomes a problem, I reserve the right to create a laptop/smartphone only area so any
externalities are internalized among those who prefer these devices.
Q: What will happen if I fall asleep in class?
A: Nothing most of the time (unless you are a regular offender), but if you snore, that would create a
negative externality! I’ll ask you to leave if that happens. The same is true if you chat, so pass notes
instead! Chatting may seem perfectly harmless but it creates an atmosphere where others start to talk
quietly and that can impair the ability of other students in the class to hear the lecture. I hope everyone
will help pitch in and regulate this without me having to interrupt class.
Q: I’m late to class what should I do?
A: Enter the room as quietly as possible. Take a seat near the back to avoid disturbing others.
Q: What is the secret to success in this course?
A: Coming to class and doing more than the minimum.
Q: The text is listed as required; do I really need to buy it?
A: I wrote the textbook – I hope that makes you more likely to read it! The textbook is a great resource
and it comes with InQuizitive (a learning platform for homework); you can gain additional insights from
the text that we do not have time to cover in class. Read the textbook and you will be successful.
Q: How can I help make the course more memorable?
A: Be yourself. If you have something to share, then share it. If you know of something that would
improve the class please tell me.
Q. What should I do if I think a posted score is incorrect?
A. Contact the grade TA within one week of the posting to double-check your score. If you contact the TA
after one week has passed, it is too late to correct any errors.
Media Project with Economic Commentary
(Satisfies the University Writing Component)
This project asks you to create a lyric video of a song with
substantial economic content. The song you choose must be from
2018 or 2019. You can use any platform you like to create your
project. You should assume that your audience is your fellow
students. The project should be straightforward, captivating, and
professionally done.
Project Outline and Requirements:
1. Working Together
You may work with as many as 4 students from your
section to complete your lyric video. All students whose
names appear on the title screen earn the same amount of
credit. The amount of credit earned is not divided by your
group size, so I encourage you to work together and use
your respective comparative advantages to complete the
project as efficiently as possible.
2. Cool Opportunity
The best lyric animations will be shown before class during
the last week of the semester. Every lyric video shown
in class will also receive an additional $10,000. The
top lyric animation of the semester will earn another
$10,000.
3. What to Include in Your Final Project
A. Title Screen
The title screen should include your name(s), the artist
and song title.
B. How Your Song Choice Relates to Economics
I want you to link your choice of song to economic
concepts as appropriate. A song that is repetitive and only
covers one or two ideas is not as good as one that hits on
many concepts. Therefore, your choice of a song dictates
how successful you will be in uncovering the economics.
Each economic concept should be highlighted in a distinct
color so that it stands out in the animation.
4. Ways to Make Your Project Better
Use Google Images to find interesting pictures that illustrate
key points, are amusing, or identify people and places
mentioned in the song.
The layout should be easy to read (uncluttered).
You can also set the timings so that the lyrics, economics
commentary and pictures appear and then disappear. This
adds visual interest. Keep the commentary short.
5. Want help before you submit?
Bring your lyric animation to office hours and we’ll give you
advice so you can to revise your submission.
6. Submission
1. You must upload your completed lyric animation to an
online platform (e.g. YouTube) by Thursday April 12th at
11.59pm.
2. Send an email to your section class email account. Late
submissions will not be accepted. Include the following:
Full name/s of each group member and a hyperlink to the
lyric animation.
Please be Aware
The UA’s policy concerning Class Attendance,
Participation, and Administrative Drops is available at
http://catalog.arizona.edu/policy/class-attendance-
participation-and-administrative-drop
If you anticipate or experience physical or academic barriers
based on disability, please contact the Disability Resource
Center to establish reasonable accommodations. For
additional information on the Disability Resource Center
and reasonable accommodations, please visit
http://drc.arizona.edu.
Students are encouraged to share intellectual views and
discuss freely the principles and applications of course
materials. However, graded work/exercises must be the
product of independent effort unless otherwise instructed.
Students are expected to adhere to the UA Code of
Academic Integrity as described in the UA General Catalog.
See http://deanofstudents.arizona.edu/academic-
integrity/students/academic-integrity.
Absences for any sincerely held religious belief, observance,
or practice will be accommodated where reasonable:
policy.arizona.edu/human-resources/religious-
accommodation-policy. Absences pre-approved by the UA
Dean of Students (or dean’s designee) will be honored.
In order to validate attendance, I will display some portion
of the class roster at the end of class. If your last name
appears you will need to show your CAT CARD to a TA or
me. If you do not validate, I will initiate procedures to have
you administratively dropped from the course. In other
words, don’t have someone else sign you in unless you are
in class and have your CAT CARD.
Information contained in the course syllabus, other than the
grade and absence policy, may be subject to change with
advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor