Spring 2008

Economics 372

Comparative Economic Systems

Course Contract
 
                                                                          

Instructor

Dr. Jacqueline Khorassani

Class Hours & Locations

14:30-15:45, TTH,Thomas 103

Office Hours & location

Thomas 104                                                                                                         

MWF: 10:00-11:00                                                                                                       

TTH:  13:00-14:00 (with the exception of April 1)                                                   

and by appointment                                                                                                                                                                                           

Voice

740-376-4621 (office)                                                                                                      

E-mail

khorassj@marietta.edu Use this device to send your private questions/concerns to me.                                                                                                          

Web Page

http://www.marietta.edu/~khorassj  Use this device to see the course contract and to send me your anonymous feedback.

WebCT

http://webct.marietta.edu  Use this device to                                                       

1.      see the course contract.

2.      see the team schedules.

3.      access the Discussion Board.

4.      see your grades.

5.      see the weekly study guides and class notes.

6.      see the course announcements.

7.      access the course calendar.

8.      see team presentation slides.

Course’s Main Objectives

 

The primary objective of this course is to explore the possible answers to the following questions:

  1. What is an economic system?
  2. What are the different economic systems in the world?

3.      What are the major institutional criteria that can be used to classify the economic systems?

4.      How do we evaluate and compare the performance of different economic systems?

Course’s Secondary Objectives

Here is a list of our secondary objectives:

1.      Enhancing your communication skills: In this course you will get a variety of in-class and out-of-class assignments that require you to put your thoughts in writing as well as expressing them vocally. My goal is to create an atmosphere in which we all feel comfortable to express our opinions and respectfully discuss our disagreements and learn from each other inside as well as outside the classroom. The level of your engagement in this course, in part, determines your participation points.

2.      Enhancing your ability to work with others: Most of our assignments require you to work in groups of two or three. Your participation points depend, in part, on how well you work with others.

3.      Encouraging collaborative instead of competitive learning: Economics is a subject that needs to be discussed. Discussions help us to better comprehend economic concepts.  In my opinion, out-of- class discussions among students are as valuable as (and sometimes more valuable than) in-class discussions.   To encourage you to work with each other,

·         on the first day of class, I will randomly select one or two team-mate for you.  Your team will write and present a paper.

·         at times, I will randomly select teams of 2-3 students to work on in class assignments together.

·         you are required to participate in WebCT’s Discussion Board.

·         The grading scale, which is pre-determined as follows, will not be altered based on class performance.

Means of Communication

Our main means of communication is the classroom. The students are expected to attend classes on a regular basis.  Your participation points depend, in part, on your attendance. In addition, I may also communicate new information to you via WebCT, my web page or your college designated email account. Similarly, please feel free to visit me in my office, call me, or e-mail me to discuss your concerns and questions. I have also made it possible for you to send me your comments anonymously via my web page.

Prerequisite

Economics 211 and 212 (Principles of micro and macroeconomics)

 Textbook

Comparative Economics in a Transforming World Economy by J. Barkley

Rosser and Marina Rosser (2e, MIT Press: 2005)

My Teaching Philosophy

 

I believe that straight lecturing is not the most effective way to teach economics.  I also believe that you are capable of studying and understanding most of the material covered in the book on your own if you give it your best shot.  Thus, I am not going to stand here and repeat the chapters of your textbook everyday.   In other words, I am not going to be a transmitter of knowledge.  Rather I view myself as designer. Further, I view students as knowledge constructors rather than sponges.

 

My task therefore, is

  1. to design a map that will lead you toward the construction of your knowledge;
  2. to help you figure out how to ask the right questions when you feel lost;
  3. to ask you questions in an attempt to find out if you are on the right track;
  4.  and to give clear and meaningful answers to your questions.

I realize that you are different form each other.  You have different backgrounds, skills and learning styles.  That is why I use a variety of strategies and media in this class.  I plan to give each of you as much support and guidance as possible. 

 

Your task is

  1. to study the map (the study guide in the beginning of each week);
  2.  to follow the map;
  3.  to ask questions when you feel lost (I always prefer an stupid question to no question as the alternative is remaining stupid.);
  4. and to respond to my questions.  (Be prepared to be wrong sometime.  Being wrong is okay as making mistakes is an inevitable part of learning.)

 

Our joint task is to build a learning environment in which we feel free and comfortable to express our thoughts; to respectfully disagree with each other at times; and to learn from each other. 

Attendance Policy

 

Attendance in this class is mandatory. Missing a class affects your participation grade.  This holds unless you have an excused absence.  Classes missed due to participation in college-sponsored co-curricular events are considered excused absences.  In order for the absence to be excused, I must receive a written notification before or immediately after you miss the class.  Regardless of the nature of your excuse, it is your responsibility to contact me immediately after you miss a class to find out about the new out-of-class assignment and everything else you have missed.

Course Outline

We will cover the entire book in the right order.

Grading

 

The following table shows the weight of different assignments in your final grade.

 

3 Exams (20% each)

60%

Paper

20%

Presentation

10%

Other Assignments

5%

Participation

5%

 

The students will be evaluated as follows

 

Percent

Grade

Percent

Grade

97% and above

A+

77 to 79%

C+

93 to 96%

A

73 to 76%

C

90 to 92%

A-

70 to 72%

C-

87 to 89%

B+

67 to 69%

D+

83 to 86%

B

63 to 66%

D

80 to 82%

B-

60 to 62%

D-

 

 

59% and below

F

Examinations

 

You will be given three exams according to the following schedule.

           

Exam 1: Thursday, February 21

Exam 2: Thursday, April 3

Exam 3: Monday, May 5 (15:00-17:30)

 

 

Exams 2 & 3 are semi-comprehensive. That is, they cover the new material as well as a specified section of the old material. Exams may consist of multiple choice questions, analytical questions, and graphical or numerical problems.

Paper

 

On the first day of class, I will randomly select one or two team-mates for you.  I will also randomly assign two three countries to your team.  Your job is to write a team paper that 

 

1. compares the nature of the three economic systems assigned to your team by evaluating the similarities and the differences among these nations’ institutional factors.

2. compares the economic performances of the above nations in the last decade, giving attention to specific measures of economic success/failure.

3. predicts the future of the three economies and clearly outlines your rationale for these predictions.

4. outlines the lessons each country’s policy makers can learn from their colleagues in the other two countries.

5. outlines the new policies that your team would implement in each of these nations to improve their economies and the rationale for these policies.

 

In terms of the format, please use the following guidelines: 5-15 pages (does not include charts and tables) double-spaced, page numbers, works cited (Besides Rosser and Rosser, you will have to use at least 5 additional reliable sources), no title page, one-inch margins, 12-pt font. Staple the pages together in the upper left corner. Do not use any hand-drawn charts or figures--use the drawing features of Word or Excel. 

 

Please remember that this is team paper.  Here is my suggested recipe for a great outcome. (1)  Meet with your team member to decide who is going to collect information on which country and identify the type of information you will each need to collect.  (2) In the process of collecting information, be in touch with each other and compare notes.  (3) Meet with each other to write the outline; compare your sources; identify the gaps in your outline and how you can fill them. (4)  Assign specific tasks to group members.  (5) Meet again to develop your outline further. (6) Meet with me as a team to share your outline with me and seek my feedback. (7) Get together to write a rough draft.  (Note that this is one paper.  The writing style should be consistent though out the paper; no cut and paste please.)  (8) Meet with me as a team and show your rough draft to me and seek my feedback.  (9) Incorporate my suggestions in your paper and write up the final version of your paper together.  (10) Turn in your paper.

 

The team papers do not share the same due date.  The due date of your paper will be announced in class.  There is a penalty of 5% per day if you turn in your paper 2 days after it due date.  I will not accept papers that are turned in 3 or more days after their due dates.  This paper carries 20% of your grade.

Presentation

 

After I return your graded paper to you, you and your teammate (s) will present your paper in class.  Here are a few hints to help you with your preparation. Other students are required to read the sections of the book that cover the nations you will discuss in advance.  Therefore, they come to your presentation with some knowledge and lots of questions.  (As they know that their participation points depend, in part, on the quality and quantity of the comments and questions they will have during your presentation.)  So, you may consider yourself as the leaders and designers of a classroom discussion rather than lecturers.  Please feel free to use any technique and media to make the discussion as effective as possible.  Class presentation carries 10% of your grade points.

 

Other Assignments

 

During this semester I or your classmates will frequently require you to complete an assignment either in class or out of class. You will work on these assignments either individually or in groups. I or your classmates collect and grade some of these assignments for a total of 5% of your course grade.

Make-up Policy

 

If you miss an exam or an assignment and have an excused absence, I will meet with you to discuss your options. If you miss an exam or an assignment because of an unexcused absence, you will receive a grade of zero on that exam or assignment. 

Weekly Study Guides

Each Friday, look for a study guide for the following week on my WebCT.  Study Guides come in the form of PowerPoint Slides and they are designed to guide you in your studying and keep you on track.  Make sure to carefully read these study guides as soon as they become available and post your questions on WebCT’s Discussion Board.  Your questions must reflect that you have done your best to grasp the material.  Your participation grade depends, in part, on the quality and the quantity of your posts.

Classroom PowerPoint Slides

Each Thursday, look for the previous week’s classroom PowerPoint Presentations on WebCT.   

Participation Grade

As noted above, five percent of your grade is determined by your participation.  To maximize your participation grade you must (1) attend classes; (2) actively participate in class by asking questions and responding to questions asked by others; (3) actively participate in your team; (4) post questions or respond to questions posted by others on WebCT’s Discussion Board.

Academic Dishonesty

 

"Dishonesty within the academic community is a very serious matter, because dishonesty destroys the basic trust necessary for a healthy education environment. Academic dishonesty is any treatment or representation of work as if one were fully responsible for it, when it is in fact the work of another person. Academic dishonesty includes cheating, plagiarism, theft, or improper manipulation of laboratory or research data or theft of services. A substantiated case of academic dishonesty may result in disciplinary action, including a failing grade on the project, a failing grade in the course, or expulsion from the College" (Marietta College Undergraduate Programs, 2007-2008 Catalog).

 

Have A Disability?

 

If you need accommodations due to documented disability, contact the Academic Resource Center (Andrews Hall, Third Floor, 376-4700) at the beginning of the semester for further instruction

Academic Warning, Probation, Dismissal

 

In order to familiarize yourself with the college policy please study the relevant pages of Marietta College 2007-2008 Undergraduate Catalog.