Instructional goals
This course aims to provide the methodological and theoretical tools to understand how the economies work and to explain the past and current economic developments. We will focus on the stylized facts of business cycle fluctuations and economic growth, the determinants of unemployment and inflation. We will also discuss whether and to what extent policy can improve macroeconomic performance.
Intended learning outcomes
Knowledge and understanding
This course aims to provide the methodological and theoretical tools to understand how the economies work and to explain the past and current economic developments. We will focus on the stylized facts of business cycle fluctuations and economic growth, the determinants of unemployment and inflation. We will also discuss whether and to what extent policy can improve macroeconomic performance.
Applying knowledge and understanding
The students will be able to
Apply a wide range of economic models to analyze contemporary and historical macroeconomic events, and propose appropriate macroeconomic policies
Making judgements
We expect students to be able to critically examine macroeconomic policies and use the appropriate economic models to critically demonstrate the scope and challenges of macroeconomic policies.
Communication
This course will give the students the possibility to acquire and understand major macroeconomic language and terminology Knowledge and understanding
This course aims to provide the methodological and theoretical tools to understand how the economies work and to explain the past and current economic developments. We will focus on the stylized facts of business cycle fluctuations and economic growth, the determinants of unemployment and inflation. We will also discuss whether and to what extent policy can improve macroeconomic performance.
Applying knowledge and understanding
The students will be able to
Apply a wide range of economic models to analyze contemporary and historical macroeconomic events, and propose appropriate macroeconomic policies
Making judgements
We expect students to be able to critically examine macroeconomic policies and use the appropriate economic models to critically demonstrate the scope and challenges of macroeconomic policies.
Communication
This course will give the students the possibility to acquire and understand major macroeconomic language and terminology in order to communicate their ideas, proposals, analysis and critical reasoning in the most effective and appropriate way with specialists and non-specialists.
Lifelong learning skills
This course will train the students to apply abstract thinking applied to complex economic system. This course will give students the tools to formulate and evaluate macroeconomic policy.
Course Contents
Part I:
Introduction to Macroeconomics; The Big Questions; The story of macroeconomics
Good Markets
Financial markets
IS-LM model
Openness in Goods and Financial Market
Budget Deficits
The Labour Market
IS-LM-PC Model
Part II:
Reference Books
Blanchard, O. Giavazzi F. & Amighini A., Macroeconomics: A European
perspective. Pearson, 4th Edition.
Teaching Methods
Lectures and written exercises based on the problem set which will be made available few days before the class. The solutions of the problem set will be made available on the Luiss learn platform
Assessment Method
Written exams & problem sets handed in during the course.
The exam is based on the topics covered during the lectures and classes, the chapters of the textbook and on selected supplementary readings assigned during the course.
Thesis assignment criteria
Interview with the lecturer, interest in the subject
Week 1
Course presentation. A tour of the course. What is Macroeconomics? The short run, the medium run and the long run. Key macro variables: GDP, unemployment and inflation. Definitions and facts. The goods market. The composition of GDP. The demand for goods and the equilibrium output.
Week 2
The goods market: Government spending, taxation and the spending multiplier. Investment and saving. The IS curve. The financial markets: the money demand and the money supply.
Week 3
Monetary policy and the interest rate The zero lower bound and the unconventional monetary policy Practice session 1 : PS 1 The goods market
Week 4
The goods market and the money market together. The IS and LM model and the macroeconomic equilibrium The IS-LM model: fiscal and monetary policies. The zero lower bound and the liquidity trap. Practice session 2 : PS 2 The financial markets
Week 5
Nominal vs. real interest rates. The risk premiums Extending the IS-LM model Practice session 3 : PS 3 The IS-LM model (I)
Week 6
The open economy: the financial markets The open economy: the goods market equilibrium Practice session 4 : PS 4 The IS-LM model (II)
Week 7
Domestic demand shock, external demand shock and real exchange shocks.: The open economy: the exchange rate regimes and the IS-LM
Week 8
The labour market - facts and theory. The wage setting and price setting model and the medium run equilibrium
Week 9
Inflation, unemployment and the Phillip curve Practice session 5 : PS 5 The IS-LM model in the open economy
Week 10
Putting all markets together: from the short to the medium run. The IS-LM-PC model: demand shock & supply shock and the equilibrium
Week 11
The long run: the facts of growth. The Solow model and the long run equilibrium Saving, investment and consumption. The Golden Rule. Practice session 6 : PS 6 The IS-LM-PC model
Week 12
Technological progress, human capital & the long run equilibrium. Practice session 7 : PS 7 The Solow model