The purpose of this course is to help you better understand how the interests of elected officials and the institutions of government affect macroeconomic performance and outcomes. Your responsibilities are to complete the assigned reading, attend class, and prepare a series of short written assignments.
Attendance is required.
You should monitor current financial news over the course of the semester. We will discuss current economic developments and policy at the beginning of each class. Pay particular attention to the release of new economic data - the types of data released and the interpretation of new data by politicians, economists and media. The Costs of Democracy. Yale University Press.