Current Issues in the Japanese Economy

Spring 2005

Syllabus

2005/06/10

Ryoichi Imai

International Student Center, Kyushu University

imryoichi@isc.kyushu-u.ac.jp

http://homepage3.nifty.com/ronten/JTWhome.htm

Contents

  1. Course Outline

  2. Organization, Attendance, and Other Requirements

  3. Pre-requisites

  4. Assessment Details

  5. Schedule and Readings

Course Outline

This course is designed to provide some background knowledge to help understanding the Japanese economy. In the spring semester, the course attendants will learn the essence of macroeconomics, and sutudy how to apply the economic theory to the real economy.

Organization, Attendance, and Other Requirements

Lecture notes are to be provided by the instructor. However the following book is used for reference.

Mankiw, Gregory [2002] Macroeconomics, 5th ed.  Worth Publishers.

The class starts with a series of lecture given by the instructor. Later the students present some selected chapters of the textbook in the class. Each course attendant is required to make at least ONE oral presentation of one chapter of the textbook. The presenter must make a set of PowerPoint Slides. There is one midterm examination, but no written homework.

Pre-requisites

None. 

Assessment Details (as of April 2005)

Class Attendance and Discussion 10%

Presentation 40%

Midterm Examination 50%

Schedule and Readings (subject to Change)

1. (4/7) Lecture: What are Macroeconomics and GDP? - Ch.1 and Ch.2 of Mankiw

2. (4/14) Lecture: Consumption, Saving, and Investment - Ch.3 of Mankiw

3. (4/21) Lecture: Money and Inflation- Ch.4 of Mankiw

4. (4/28) Lecture: Unemployment - Ch.6 of Mankiw

5. (5/12) Lecture: Open Economy - Ch.5 of Mankiw

6: (5/19) Lecture: Economic Fluctuations - Ch.9 of Mankiw

7. (5/26) Lecture: Aggregate Demand I - Ch.10 of Mankiw

8. (6/2) Lecture: Aggregate Demand II - Ch.11 of Mankiw

9. (6/9) Review

10. (6/16) Midterm Examination

11. (6/23) Students' Presentation: Economic Growth I - Ch.7 of Mankiw

Andy, Daniel, Seki

12. (6/30) Students' Presentation: Economic Growth II - Ch.8 of Mankiw

Andy, Ji Eun

13: (7/7) Students' Presentation: Aggregate Demand in the Open Economy - Ch.12 of Mankiw

Aya, Mitsu

14. (7/14) Students' Presentation: Aggregate Supply - Ch.13 of Mankiw

Sayaka, Suzue

15: (7/21) No class.