This course aims to equip students with the analytical tools and foundational knowledge needed to understand and interpret key macroeconomic phenomena. The focus is on examining the workings of capitalist systems, including their cyclical fluctuations and long-term trends. The course also seeks to provide a structured, critical perspective on macroeconomics, encouraging students to reflect on current issues, ongoing debates, and economic policy decisions. Case studies (particularly those focused on the Italian economy), empirical tests of theories, and the analysis of official documents will serve as important tools for fostering this critical thinking.

Knowledge and Understanding: understanding i) the causal links between the primary macroeconomic variables (e.g., inflation, unemployment, economic growth), ii) the factors that drive cyclical fluctuations (short-term ups and downs) and long-term economic growth trends, iii) the role of insurance. Applying knowledge and understanding: By the end of the course, students will be able to apply foundational macroeconomic theories to formulate well-reasoned arguments in response to questions related to the discipline. Making judgements: Students will be able to critically analyze the effects of different macroeconomic shocks and assess the potential trade-offs in terms of government intervention efficiency. Communications Skills: Students will be able to articulate their reasoning on course topics in a clear, concise, and logically structured manner. Lerning Skills: The course materials will equip students with the knowledge and skills to succeed in more advanced economics courses and to plan, execute, and present an independent research project on macroeconomic topics.

The course covers the topics of income and national accounting, unemployment, money and inflation, debt, the economic cycle, capital accumulation and growth, and insurance.

Amendola, Carbonari, Ferraris “Macroeconomia. Il minimo teorico”, Egea, II edizione 2024. The textbook chapters will be supplemented by additional educational resources found on the course's Luiss Learn page. Blanchard, Amighini, Giavazzi, “Macroeconomia. Una Prospettiva Europea”, Il Mulino, ultima edizione.

Regular lessons.

Student assessment will be structured as follows: 1. In-progress assessment (individual) through regular online tests on the Learn platform and problem sets. 2. End-of-course assessment (individual) through a final written exam. The final exam consists of open-ended questions, multiple-choice questions, and exercises.

The student's genuine interest in macroeconomics.