UCL - Macroeconomic Policy

[POLS1211]

[30h + 10h] 5 credits

This course is taught in the 1st semester.

Teacher(s):

Language: French

Level: First

Aims
Main themes
Content and teaching methods
Other information (prerequisite, evaluation (assessment methods), course materials recommended readings, ...)

Aims

This course aims to give students the foundations they need to understand the evolution of "macroeconomic" variables such as production, employment, inflation, competition, etc., the objective being to enable them to analyse the evolution observed, the role of institutions and public authorities and the advantages and the disadvantages of a range of economic policies.

Main themes

The study of issues in Macroeconomics will build on basic concepts from economic theory (supply, demand and market equilibrium). It will be important for students to be able to move from these basic concepts to analyse concrete topical issues such as revenue, employment, world trade, the financial markets and the movement of capital, the causes of recessions and elements favouring growth.

Content and teaching methods

Course content
The course will tackle a succession of issues including: market power and competition policy, the factors determining long term growth and development, the link between currency, exchange rates and open-economy inflation, current economic fluctuations and the role of budgetary and monetary policies, the relation between inflation and unemployment, labour market policies and the Social Security system, the major economic policy debates.

Method
The course adopts an inductive approach, in the sense that the starting point lies in putting questions which challenge the students directly, in order to present the key concepts.

Other information (prerequisite, evaluation (assessment methods), course materials recommended readings, ...)

Course entry requirements: Students should have taken the Political Economics course (partim)
Course materials : (for information only) Mankiw, Principles of Macroeconomics