Macroeconomics is the study of economies at the national level. By bstracting away from the decisions of individual  firms, workers and consumers (the  domain of Micro-econ.) we are able to gain some insight into many questions of general importance. Why are some countries rich and others poor? What determines the rate at which a country’s economy grows? What causes recessions? What effects do particular government  policies have on the national economy?

     The purpose of this course is to provide you, the student, with a toolkit that will allow you to think reason about such issues in a flexible logical framework.

     We will often present some materials in a different fashion and with a different focus than the text, and may make use of outside sources. We will highlight the most important articles as the course progresses. Some articles may be added at a later date. In case of conflict, lecture notes override the textbook.