Eco 354
International Economics
Eshragh Motahar/Spring 2024

This course operates under two fundamental principles:  transparency and accountability.  Every effort will be made to adhere to the terms of this syllabus.  However, changes and adaptations might have to be made because of unforeseen circumstances (force majeure).  I will give you written notice of those changes.

OFFICE INFORMATION

• Hours:  Office hours, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 4:00-5:30 PM and by appointment; click here, or contact me via e-mail or voice mail.
• Location: Lippman Hall, Room 218
• Telephone: 518.388.6065
• E-mail:  motahare@union.edu

A. COURSE

International economics is about issues raised by the special problems of economic interaction among sovereign states. The study of these problems falls into two broad categories: international trade and international money. In the area of international trade, we will study topics such as gains from trade, the pattern of trade, protectionism, and international migration of labor and capital. We will also study new views on the political economy of trade policy, and strategic trade policy. In the area of international money, we will study topics such as exchange rate determination, balance of payments, and international capital markets. We will also place the course material in the wider context of current geo-economic and geopolitical dynamics.

B. TEXTBOOK

Paul R. Krugman, Maurice Obstfeld, and Marc J. Melitz, International Economics: Theory and Policy, Twelfth Edition, Pearson, 2022.

The textbook is required.  You might benefit from the accompanying MyEconLab.  However, the latter is not required.

C. WORK

1. The lectures will be based on the entire textbook. However, we will not be able to cover all chapters in equal detail. Specific reading assignments from the Textbook, guidance about MyEconLab, plus additional readings, will be announced in class, and posted at this website, at appropriate times. The plan is to focus on the following chapters: 1-8, 10, 12, and 13-14.

2. From time to time, newspaper, journal, or web articles which are of special relevance to this course will be assigned as additional reading material. All of this material will be regarded as an integral part of the course. You should also familiarize yourself with, and use, those Internet resources that are related to issues in international economics.  In particular, check the website dedicated to the textbook, as well as the sites mentioned on the homepage for this course.

3. How to study for this course.  It is absolutely essential that you keep up with the course work as we go along.  Study in a gradual and steady manner from day one, and utilize office hours (if you need them) in the same fashion.  Last-minute cramming will not work.  With this in mind, please note that there will be no review sessions prior to the midterm or the final exams.

D. EXAMINATIONS, HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS, AND GRADING POLICY

There will be two examinations and two homework assignments, as follows:

1. Examinations
 

Mid-term Examination Final Examination

Thursday, May 2 TBA

30% of course grade 30% of course grade

The exams will include questions on topics that will not have been covered in class, but which are covered in assigned readings.

2. Homework Assignments

The assignments, in pdf format, are due at the beginning of class.  For late submissions see section 3.a below.

3. Other Matters

a.  There is a penalty for late submission of homework assignments:  it is one point per hour.  Fractions of an hour are rounded to the nearest hour.  The entire homework assignment must be submitted at the submission time; that is, partial submissions are not acceptable.

b.  The dates of examinations and homework assignments are announced on the first day of classes so that you can plan accordingly. There will be no changes in these dates unless you notify me by Friday, April 12^th, that you have concerns with these dates.  If because of an extreme emergency you are unable to take an examination or submit an assignment at the above-announced dates and times, you must (i) inform the Dean of Students and me ahead of time (or, in case of incapacity, have someone else contact us), and (ii) contact me subsequently so that, conditional on certification of the nature of emergency by the Dean of Students, arrangements can be made for a make-up examination or late submission.  If the above procedures are not followed, your grade on that examination, or assignment, will be zero.  Please note that it is YOUR responsibility, NOT the professor’s, to make ALL the necessary arrangements.

c.  Accommodative Arrangements.  Any student with a documented disability needing academic adjustments or accommodations is required to notify me, and to make the necessary arrangements with me via e-mail, by no later than 5:00 PM on April 12^th, 2024.  Requests made after this date will not be honored (unless a case is made as to why the deadline was not met).  All discussions will remain confidential.

d.  Since adequate ways of assessing students' performance are already instituted (i.e., the two examinations and the two homework assignments), no additional work of any kind will be accepted as a means of improving grades.

e.  Professional Conduct.  You are required to adhere to the following professional code of conduct during class sessions.  It is in your best interest to drop this course if you are unable and/or unwilling to adhere to this code.  "In order for everyone to benefit from the educational process in an appropriate environment, adherence to professional conduct during class sessions is expected.  Eating, late arrival, leaving the class session while it is in progress, conversation which interferes with session activity, and similar unprofessional conduct is not acceptable.  Such conduct will lead to point deductions (one point per occurrence) from your course grade."  The use of any electronic devices during the class sessions is not allowed unless you obtain prior permission from me. Unauthorized use of electronic devices will be subject to the same penalty points as above.  (Electronic devices include, but are not limited to:  cellphones, laptops, notebooks, iPads and iPad-like devices, Apple watches, etc.) 

f.  Responsibility.  It is your responsibility to know course/class and college policies.  College rules and regulations governing issues such as academic honesty apply to examinations as well as homework assignments (see the relevant sections of the Student Handbook).  Cheating of any kind, including plagiarism, will result in serious penalties.  The College's Honor Code is now in effect.  "Union College recognizes the need to create an environment of mutual trust as part of its educational mission. Responsible participation in an academic community requires respect for and acknowledgement of the thoughts and work of others, whether expressed in the present or in some distant time and place.  Matriculation at the College is taken to signify implicit agreement with the Academic Honor Code, available at honorcode.union.edu.  It is each student's responsibility to ensure that submitted work is his or her own and does not involve any form of academic misconduct. Students are expected to ask their course instructors for clarification regarding, but not limited to, collaboration, citations, and plagiarism.  Ignorance is not an excuse for breaching academic integrity.

Students are also required to affix the full Honor Code Affirmation, or the following shortened version, on each item of coursework submitted for grading:  ``I affirm that I have carried out my academic endeavors with full academic honesty. [Signed, Jane Doe]"

All course material, including any course-related announcements, will be posted at this website (http://minerva.union.edu/motahare/Eco354/Eco354.htm).  So, please make sure to check it regularly.

Eco 354 Home
Last revised:  Saturday, March 30, 2024