PRINCIPLES OF ECONOMICS

ECON 0110
Brown University, Fall 2017
Professor Rachel Friedberg
Rachel_Friedberg@brown.edu
Robinson Hall 216
863-7578

For all administrative issues, please contact the Course Administrator at econ110@brown.edu.

Course Description

Extensive coverage of economic issues, institutions, and terminology, plus an introduction to

economic analysis and its application to current social problems. Required for all economics
concentrators. Prerequisite for ECON 1110, 1130, 1210 and 1620. Serves as a general course
for students who will take no other economics courses and want a broad introduction to the
discipline. Weekly one-hour conference section required.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of Principles of Economics, students will be familiar with the fundamental
concepts, theories, and tools that form the basis of the discipline. They will recognize the
tradeoffs faced by consumers and producers, and be able to derive their optimal behavior under
different circumstances. They will understand the determinants and welfare implications of
market equilibrium, as well as the role of government in the economy. They will be capable of
identifying the factors determining a country’s standard of living and economic fluctuations,
and be able to use economic analysis to evaluate both microeconomic and macroeconomic
events, issues, and policies.

General Information

Class meets for lecture Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9:00-9:50 in the Salomon Hall
De Ciccio Auditorium. You must register on Banner for a weekly conference section (C##), as
well as for the lecture (S01: CRN15731). The course website is available at canvas.brown.edu.

Materials

The text is by N. Gregory Mankiw, Principles of Economics, 8th edition, copyright 2018. We
will cover 28 of the 36 chapters in the text. You are not responsible for chapters not assigned, but
you are responsible for material covered in assigned chapters that is not discussed in lecture.

You can purchase an access code for the e-book (MindTap) for $115 at the Brown Bookstore or
online at the course website. MindTap includes a study guide, in addition to the textbook itself.
For those who prefer a printed book, the textbook is available in hardcover and loose-leaf
versions— both bundled with a MindTap access code— for $355 and $159 respectively at the
bookstore. The bookstore offers other new/used options for purchase/rental as well. Copies of the
textbook and study guide will also be made available on reserve at the Rockefeller Library.
Assessment

Your course grade will be based upon three midterm exams, a final exam, and weekly
homework assignments. Each midterm counts for 18% of the course grade. The cumulative final
exam counts for 36% of the course grade. Homework counts for 10% of the course grade.

Homework Assignments will be posted on the course website and are to be turned in at your
conference section. If you have to miss section one week, you may turn your homework in to
your TA’s mailbox in the basement of Robinson Hall by 5:00 pm on Tuesday, after which the
building is locked. No credit will be given for homework turned in later, or turned in at a section
other than the one for which you are registered.

Please note the dates of the four exams, which are listed on the last page. Absence from an exam
will be excused only in cases of a medical or family emergency, verified by a letter from a Dean.
Any other requests to be excused from an exam must be presented in writing within the first
two weeks of the semester.

Over the 14 weeks of the semester, students will spend 3 hours per week in class (42 hours total)
and 1 hour per week in conference section (14 hours). Homework, reading, and studying for
midterm exams will take approximately 7.5 hours per week (105 hours total). In addition, there
is a 3-hour final exam for which approximately 16 hours of review is assumed.

Students approved by Student and Employee Accessibility Services (SEAS@brown.edu) for

extra time on exams or other accommodations must notify the Course Administrator at
econ110@brown.edu at the beginning of the semester.

Free tutoring is available from Brown’s Academic Support program, which can be found
at https://apps.college.brown.edu/tutoring.

Conference Sections

Conferences meet weekly, for the purpose of turning in and discussing the homework, going
over the material covered in the readings and lecture, learning new applications, and
collaboratively working practice problems.

Section size is capped at 30, so not everyone will be able to receive their first choice. Once your
schedule is settled, you are expected to attend the same section every week.

The schedule of conference sections is listed on the next page.

 CONFERENCE SECTION SCHEDULE
Section CRN Day Time Place Teaching Assistant
C01 15734 M 12:00 pm - 12:50 pm Rockefeller Library 412 Pedro de Freitas
C02 15735 M 12:00 pm - 12:50 pm Smith-Buonanno Hall 101 Brian Lee
C03 15736 M 12:00 pm - 12:50 pm Smith-Buonanno Hall G12 Austin Lessin
C04 15737 M 12:00 pm - 12:50 pm Smith-Buonanno Hall G18 Peter Lee
C05 15738 M 12:00 pm - 12:50 pm Alumnae Hall 212 Shehryar Hasan
C06 15739 M 3:00 pm - 3:50 pm Smith-Buonanno Hall G12 Grant Goldman
C07 15740 M 3:00 pm - 3:50 pm Smith-Buonanno Hall G18 Louise Leitao
C08 15741 M 3:00 pm - 3:50 pm Smith-Buonanno Hall G13 Shehryar Hasan
C09 15742 M 7:00 pm - 7:50 pm Smith-Buonanno Hall G13 Can Cao
C10 15743 M 7:00 pm - 7:50 pm Alumnae Hall 212 Austin Lessin
C11 15744 T 12:00 pm - 12:50 pm Rockefeller Library 412 Seong Min Kim
C12 15745 T 12:00 pm - 12:50 pm Smith-Buonanno Hall 101 Grant Goldman
C13 15746 T 12:00 pm - 12:50 pm Smith-Buonanno Hall G12 Pedro de Freitas
C14 15747 T 12:00 pm - 12:50 pm Smith-Buonanno Hall G18 Louise Leitao
C15 15748 T 12:00 pm - 12:50 pm Smith-Buonanno Hall G13 Can Cao
C16 15749 T 12:00 pm - 12:50 pm Alumnae Hall 212 David Ha
C17 15750 T 4:00 pm - 4:50 pm Smith-Buonanno Hall G18 Peter Lee
C18 15751 T 4:00 pm - 4:50 pm Smith-Buonanno Hall G13 Brian Lee
C19 15752 T 4:00 pm - 4:50 pm Alumnae Hall 212 Seong Min Kim
C20 15753 T 7:00 pm - 7:50 pm Alumnae Hall 212 David Ha

Teaching Assistants:
Can Cao (352) 213-5639 can_cao@brown.edu
Pedro de Freitas (401) 497-5153 pedro_defreitas@brown.edu
Grant Goldman (916) 602-6318 grant_goldman@brown.edu
David Ha (949) 235-3580 david_ha@brown.edu
Brian Lee (404) 789-9947 brian_lee_3@brown.edu
Peter Lee (480) 323-0470 peter_s_lee@brown.edu
Louise Leitao (857) 320-9410 louise_leitao@brown.edu
Austin Lessin (978) 460-5069 austin_lessin@brown.edu
Seong Min Kim (412) 638-3858 seong_min_kim@brown.edu
Shehryar Hasan (401) 225-7856 malik_shehryar_hasan@brown.edu
Office Hours:
Prof. Friedberg Wednesdays 10:00-11:30am Robinson Hall 216
Can Cao Wednesdays 6:00-8:00pm Sciences Library Lobby
Pedro de Freitas Thursdays 10:30am- Rockefeller Lobby
Grant Goldman Mondays 2:00-3:00pm & Smith Buonanno G12
Tuesdays 2:00-3:00pm Watson Institute Student Lobby
David Ha Tuesdays 5:00-7:00pm Alumnae Hall 212
Brian Lee Fridays 3:00-5:00pm Sciences Library Lobby
Peter Lee Sundays 2:00-4:00pm Sciences Library Basement
Louise Leitao Mondays & Wednesdays Sciences Library Basement
2:30pm-4:00pm
Austin Lessin Wednesdays 8:30pm- Sciences Library Lobby
10:30pm
Seong Min Kim Wednesdays & Thursdays Sciences Library Lobby
12:00-1:00pm
Shehryar Hasan Thursdays 3:00-5:00pm Sciences Library Mezzanine
Schedule:

Wed Sep 6 Chapters 1&2 Ten Principles; Thinking Like an Economist

Fri Sep 8 3 Gains from Trade
Mon Sep 11 4 Supply and Demand
Wed Sep 13 5 Elasticity
Fri Sep 15 6 Supply, Demand, and Government Policies
Mon Sep 18 6 Supply, Demand, and Government Policies
Wed Sep 20 7 Consumers, Producers, and Market Efficiency
Fri Sep 22 8 Costs of Taxation
Mon Sep 25 9 International Trade

Wed Sep 27 1-8 FIRST EXAM

Fri Sep 29 10 Externalities

Mon Oct 2 11 Public Goods and Common Resources
Wed Oct 4 13 Costs of Production
Fri Oct 6 14 Competitive Markets
Mon Oct 9 Long Weekend. No lecture. No TA sections this week.
Wed Oct 11 15 Monopoly
Fri Oct 13 17 Oligopoly
Mon Oct 16 18 Factors of Production
Wed Oct 18 19 Earnings and Discrimination
Fri Oct 20 20 Inequality
Mon Oct 23 20 Poverty

Wed Oct 25 9-19 except 12&16 SECOND EXAM

Fri Oct 27 21 Consumer Choice

Mon Oct 30 21 Consumer Choice
Wed Nov 1 23 National Income
Fri Nov 3 24 Cost of Living
Mon Nov 6 25 Growth
Wed Nov 8 26 The Financial System
Fri Nov 10 26 Saving = Investment
Mon Nov 13 28 Unemployment

Wed Nov 15 20-26 except 22 THIRD EXAM

Fri Nov 17 29 Money

Mon Nov 20 30 Inflation
W-F Nov 22-24 Thanksgiving. No lecture.
Mon Nov 27 33 Aggregate Demand
Wed Nov 29 33 Aggregate Supply
Fri Dec 1 34 Monetary Policy
Mon Dec 4 34 Fiscal Policy
Wed Dec 6 Review

Thurs Dec 21 comprehensive FINAL EXAM 2:00 pm - 5:00 pm