At the end of the course, the student should:
- Understand the concepts of the market, the law of demand and the law of supply, classification of
classification of goods and elasticity.
- Analyze taxes and their effects.
- Understand the different types of markets according to the degree of competition. Introduction to
strategic behavior.
- To study the main macro magnitudes of the economy.
- To understand the concepts of equilibrium and multiplier in a macroeconomic context.
- To analyze the effects of fiscal policy.
- To study the money market.
- Analyze the effects of monetary policy.
Session 1
Prof. Ramón Alfonso
ramon.alfonso@salle.url.edu
Microeconomics: the market, the supply function and the demand function
80% Theory + 20% Practical
Pre-assignments:
- No previous homework required
Session content:
Theory block:
o The principles of economics.
o The demand function and its determinants.
o The supply function and its determinants.
o Market equilibrium.
o Global economic factors.
o Global trade, global production, global finance and global development.
o Connecting the components
Practice block:
o Solving exercises.
Subsequent assignments:
Session 2
Prof. Ramón Alfonso
ramon.alfonso@salle.url.edu
Microeconomics: Market Structure and Strategic Behavior
50% Theory + 50% Practical
Pre-assignments:
- No pre-assignments required
Session content:
Theory block:
o Perfect competition.
o Imperfect competition.
o The concept of monopoly.
o Natural monopolies.
o The concept of oligopoly.
o The concept of monopolistic competition.
o Regulation of imperfect competition.
Practice block:
o Solution of the case: Momentum of the economic cycle.
Subsequent tasks:
- Case: Patents in the pharmaceutical industry and the power of the market.
- Momentum of the business cycle
Subsequent tasks:
- Case: Patents in the pharmaceutical industry and the power of the market.
Session 3
Prof. Ramón Alfonso
ramon.alfonso@salle.url.edu
Macroeconomics: macroeconomic variables
50% Theory + 50% Practical
Pre-assignments:
- No previous homework required
Session content:
Theory block
o The consumer price index and inflation.
o Unemployment: analysis and measurement.
o The measurement of a country's income: real GDP, nominal GDP and economic growth.
Practice block:
o Case solution: Patents in the pharmaceutical industry and market power.
Subsequent assignments:
- Prepare Continuous assessment test 1 (includes the contents of sessions 1, 2 and 3).
session 4
Prof. Ramón Alfonso
ramon.alfonso@salle.url.edu
Macroeconomics: GDP and national accounting
50% Theory + 50% Practical
Pre-assignments:
- No pre-assignments required
Session content:
Theory block:
o National accounting.
o Measures of income distribution: Lorenz curve and Gini index.
o Comparative analysis of data on economic growth, inflation rate and unemployment rate for the
o Comparative analysis of data on economic growth, inflation rate and unemployment rate, both of the countries of the Monetary Union and of the most representative countries of the rest of the world.
representative countries of the rest of the world.
o Review questions.
Practical block:
o Continuous assessment test 1.
Subsequent assignments:
- Case: Analysis national accounting main economy.
Session 5
Prof. Ramón Alfonso
ramon.alfonso@salle.url.edu
Macroeconomics: the market for goods and services. An introduction to the simple model of
income determination
50% Theory + 50% Practical
Pre-assignments:
- No pre-assignments required.
Session content:
Theory block:
o Aggregate demand and supply of goods and services.
o Determination of equilibrium in the market for goods and services.
o Economic multiplier.
o Review questions
Practical block:
o Case solution: analysis accounting major economies.
Subsequent assignments:
- Prepare Continuous assessment test 2 (includes contents of sessions 4 and 5).
Session 6
Prof. Ramón Alfonso
ramon.alfonso@salle.url.edu
Macroeconomics: the money market and monetary policy
50% Theory + 50% Practical
Pre-assignments:
- No pre-assignments required
Session content:
Theory block:
o Definition of monetary aggregates
Session 7
Prof. Ramón Alfonso
ramon.alfonso@salle.url.edu
Macroeconomics: fiscal policy
50% Theory + 50% Practical
Pre-assignments:
- No previous homework required
Session content:
Theory block:
o Economic policies.
o Introduction to fiscal variables.
o Fiscal multiplier.
o Analysis of the effects of fiscal policy on economic growth and on the public deficit. o Analysis of the effects of fiscal policy on economic growth and on the public deficit.
public deficit.
Practical block:
o Resolution case analysis monetary policy in major economies.
Subsequent assignments:
- Preparation for the final exam
Session 8
Prof. Ramón Alfonso
ramon.alfonso@salle.url.edu
8
Final exam
25% Theory + 75% Practical
Previous tasks:
- Study subject contents for the final exam.
Session content:
Theory block:
o Final subject exam.
Practical block:
o In-class resolution of the final subject exam.
Subsequent assignments:
- Not applicable.
Before the beginning of the session, the student must work on his/her own on the previous tasks indicated in the work plan.
in the work plan, which in this case include the reading of articles that complement the teacher's explanations in class
the professor's explanations in class and the previous reading of the cases that will later be delivered in the eStudy.
be delivered in the eStudy.
Classes are divided into two blocks:
- Theory block:
o The professor teaches the concepts and tools related to the topic of the session.
of the session.
- Practice block:
o Students apply and develop the concepts and tools by solving practical exercises, as well as through group work.
and tools by solving practical exercises, as well as through group work on the cases and practices
the cases and practices proposed in the course.
At the end of some sessions, students must work in groups on the subsequent tasks indicated in the work plan.
indicated in the work plan of the course. These tasks include the individual resolution of
the cases and exercises proposed by the professor, which must be deposited in the eStudy before the beginning of the next session.
the beginning of the next session
Case studies (group work): 20%. The resolution of the various cases (4 cases) must be carried out in a group
must be done in groups and must be deposited in the eStudy well on the date indicated by the professor.
teacher. The cases to be solved will always be less than 4 pages long. Once the deadline
Once the deadline has arrived and the well is closed, the groups that have not deposited the cases will lose their points.
points that correspond to them. The solution of the different exercises and cases will be carried out in class
after the delivery in the eStudy.
Initial quizzes: 5%. These questionnaires are not recoverable, that is to say, that the student that
student does not take a quiz because he/she arrives late to class and the test has already started, or because the student does not attend class that day.
the student does not attend class, he/she will not be able to make it up. Therefore, the quizzes
can only be taken during the time allotted for this purpose at the beginning of the session.
session. For this reason, students are requested to be punctual at the beginning of the sessions.
Once a questionnaire has been started at the beginning of the session, students arriving late will not be allowed to enter the class until the questionnaire has been completed.
students who arrive late will not be allowed to enter the class until the quiz is finished.
Continuous evaluation test (individual): 20%. Two continuous evaluation tests will be given in session 4 and session 6.
session 4 and in session 6. In the continuous evaluation test the student must answer a questionnaire about the
questionnaire about the contents of the previous sessions. It will not be possible to consult any
support material during the realization of the questionnaire. These questionnaires will be of
individual realization. The questionnaires will be carried out in the time interval assigned during the Practice Block.
the Practice Block. The questionnaire contains 10 multiple-choice questions with only one correct answer.
correct answer. Each correct question is worth 1 point. Incorrect answers deduct 0.20 points. The
The teacher will correct the quiz questions after all students have handed in their answers.
handed in.
Final exam: 55%. At the beginning of the last session there will be an exam that will include all the course material (sessions 1 to 7).
of the course (sessions 1 to 7). It will consist of 20 multiple-choice questions (with 4 possible answers and only 1 correct answer).
and only 1 correct answer). Each multiple-choice question will be worth 0.5 points if answered correctly.
correctly. Incorrect answers will subtract 0.2 points (-40%). The maximum time for
The maximum resolution time will be 1 hour and 10 minutes. No material may be consulted in class during the
the resolution of the exam. The teacher will comment on the exam questions in the second part of the session.
of the session. It is a prerequisite for passing the course to take this final exam.
final exam. With a grade equal to or higher than 5 in the final exam, the average is calculated together with the rest of evaluation systems to determine the grade of the subject. With a grade lower than 5 in the final exam
the final exam, the subject will be failed without the possibility of calculating the average together with the rest of the
the rest of the evaluation systems. The grade of the final exam in the extraordinary exam will not be higher than 7/10.
higher than 7/10.
A minimum of 75% attendance is required. Students who do not meet this requirement
will fail the final exam and must sit for the extraordinary exam with a maximum grade of 7 (seven).
maximum grade equal to 7 (seven)
Use of AI tools:
Artificial Intelligence (AI) can help in the learning process, but we must make proper use of it.
appropriate use of it. Students who choose to use an AI in their work should include a paragraph at the end of the assignment or activity in which they have used the AI tool and explain how they have used it.
a paragraph at the end of the assignment or activity in which they have used such a tool and explain why they decided to use it and the results.
why they decided to use it and the results obtained with it. Failure to include this
information will be considered as an attempt of fraud or cheating, since it misleads the Assessment System.
Evaluation System. In these cases, the sanctions foreseen in the Salle Copies Regulations will be applied.
Campus Barcelona (https://www.salleurl.edu/en/copies-regulation).
Blanchard, O. MACROECONOMICS. Pearson, 2020
Challe, E., & Emanuel S., MACROECONOMIC FLUCTUATIONS AND POLICIES, The MIT
Press, 2023
Mankiw, G. MACROECONOMIA Ed. Antoni Bosch Editor, 2020
Dornbush, R. & Fisher, S. & Startz, R. MACROECONOMICS Ed. Mc Graw Hill, 2018
Wyplosz, C. & Burda M. MACROECONOMICS: A EUROPEAN TEXT. OUP Oxford, 2017