ECON-Economics

Concept(s) of poverty, measures of wealth and income distribution. Economic sources of such inequality and poverty. Impact of discrimination. Role of government policy in both exacerbating and reducing inequality. Studies of and comparisons with other contemporary societies, e.g., India and Mexico.

Provides a setting for an informed discussion of important public policy issues, including health care reform, educational reform, federal and state budgets, environmental regulation, international trade and U.S. competitiveness, welfare reform. Students cannot receive credit for this course and course 152.

The economic and social causes and consequences of immigration into the United States. Both historical and current immigration are considered. Emphasis placed on California's experience, on national and state policy, and on the ethics of immigration policy.

Theory and analysis of long-run and short-run forecasts of economic activity. Emphasis is on empirical applications. Applications of forecasting techniques in organizational settings.

A seminar in advanced microeconomics focusing on a selection of theoretical issues. Emphasis is on detailed modeling and analysis of microeconomic behavior.

Emphasizes class discussion and term papers for social science, philosophy, and biology majors. Covers the development and recent trends of evolutionary thought in biology and social sciences including social Darwinism, sociobiology, evolutionary psychology, and evolutionary game theory.

Theories of justice, equity, and rights in economics and their applications to such issues as wages, taxation, property rights, welfare programs, and globalization. Students get extensive practice in writing persuasive, argumentative essays.

Critical examination of ethical principals, theories, and their application to business, nonprofit, and public organizations; exploration of the process of ethical decision making and ethical problems facing managers, including corporate social responsibility, work place democracy, consumer safety, environmental protection and international business conduct.

Covers the principles and methodology of fraud detection and deterrence. Includes topics such as skimming, cash larceny, check tampering, register disbursement schemes, billing schemes, payroll and expense reimbursement schemes, non-cash misappropriations, corruption, accounting principles and fraud, fraudulent financial statements, and interviewing witnesses.

Study of economics of agricultural change in less developed countries. Problems, promises of food production and distribution; ecological, social, economic, political constraints to increased agricultural production; price policies, land tenure systems; technological change; employment problems; international aspects of agricultural development. Course 120 is strongly recommended as preparation.

Examination of the economic status of Asian-Americans in the U.S. focusing on the strategies of adaptation found by different groups with particular emphasis on the role of ethnic enterprises.

Analyzes the adoption, timing, sequencing, relative economic performance of different market-friendly economic reform strategies. Explores issues of shock therapy versus gradualism, connections between form of regime (democracy or dictatorship) and economic reform packages, and strengths and limitations of a rational-choice theoretic approach to explaining outcomes.

Focuses on marketing and society and the environmental problems which affect marketing managers and corporate strategy. Evaluates the relationships between the environment and the business world, and explores the political and economic concepts that underlie environmental thinking.

Laboratory sequence discussing business simulation game associated with course 136. One three-hour session in microcomputer lab.

A comparative study of major European economies since 1945. Focuses on the alternative means with which European countries have pursued social and economic objectives. The approach is analytical and requires a thorough background in micro- and macroeconomics.

Study of centrally planned systems and their problems of transition to market mechanisms. Focus on issues of resource mechanisms, income distribution, and the role of ideology in economic decisions.

Evolution of the economic system of China since 1949. Focus on problems of transition to a market-based economy, the sharp contrasts between Maoist and non-Maoist approaches to economic development, and the persistence of Maoist economic features.

Deals with various aspects of the contemporary Japanese economy. The first part of the course focuses on the domestic structure, with emphasis on the internal structure of the Japanese firms. The second part focuses on trade issues of Japan.

The growth, size, and composition of post WW II military expenditures are analyzed in terms of alternate theories-mainstream, Marxist, bureaucracy, and private interest group-followed by analysis of the economic effects and effectiveness of military expenditures in the U.S.

Rigorous micro and welfare economic analysis of urban problems, both positive and normative. Problems include housing, transportation, location of firms, land use, city size, and environmental quality.

Involves the programmatic application of microeconomics, macroeconomics, international trade and finance, and monetary theory to give an economic and strategic analysis of the issues and preparation of actual legal trials and hearings using economic evidence.

The economics of real estate, including development, financing, construction and land costs, zoning, land use, externalities, and planning. Also considers speculation and real estate appreciation.

Applies concepts and tools developed in course 202 to practical problems and policy-related issues. Emphasis is on empirical applications and student projects. Topics covered include the relationships between budget deficits and interest rates, money and prices, and tax policy and personal savings. Course 202 is strongly recommended as preparation.

Role of government in mobilizing foreign and domestic resources for development; tax structures and levels in developing countries and relationship to growth targets; evaluation of government development projects.

Theory, evidence, and case studies of exchange rate formation and change and of private international portfolio management. Course 241 is strongly recommended as preparation.

Theory, evidence, and case studies of exchange rate formation and change and of private international portfolio management. Course 241 is strongly recommended as preparation.

Covers the empirical aspects of international trade issues. Topics include the testing and estimation of various trade models such as the Ricardian model, Heckscher-Ohlin-Vanek model, intra-industry trade models, trade models associated with multinational corporations, models of trade and intellectual property rights, the impact of trade on income inequality, and trade between developed and developing economies.

The economic structure and functioning of Soviet-type economies (including the former U.S.S.R. and the People's Republic of China) and their problems of transition to market economies. Planning systems, investment policies, fiscal policies, and policies toward foreign trade and investment receive particular attention. Courses 204A and 205A are strongly recommended as preparation.

Economic growth and development in Latin America since the 1930's. Discusses the political economy of trade, industrial, fiscal, and monetary policy-making during these decades. Issues include income distribution, external debt, stabilization, and recent economic reform and liberalization policies. Courses 204A and 205A are strongly recommended as preparation.

Focuses on the economic growth and policy of Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and other Asian economies. Topics include fiscal, monetary, and trade policies, labor-management and management-government relations and institutions, and human resource development. Explores reasons for rapid growth rates of these nations and their relations with the United States. Course 204A is strongly recommended as preparation.

Topics in the economic transformation of the Middle East and North Africa. Studies the impact of oil wealth on growth and development of the region since 1960; stresses issues related to the successful management of oil revenues.

The economic structure and policies of the poorest continent. Focus is on agricultural development possibilities and difficulties; the international environment, including terms of trade and foreign lending flows; and domestic government policies. Courses 204A and 205A are strongly recommended as preparation.

An analysis of the role of government regulation in the American economy and in its principal trading partners. Includes an examination of positive and normative theories of regulation and development of criteria for assessing the efficiency and welfare effects of regulation. Also examines the methods and consequences of regulation in selected traded-goods industries.

Comparative analysis of fiscal systems; effects of fiscal relationships on world trade, capital flows and development; fiscal coordination for common markets, free trade areas, and federations among developed and developing countries.

The application of economic theory to issues in the law. The role of transaction costs, insurance, and the optimal allocation of resources in determining the rules of law. Topics include corporate law, alimony, criminal, contract, and tort law.

Focuses on the uses of accounting to measure economic activity and allocate resources. Emphasizes the uses of accounting data for external reporting and internal uses for management decision making. Topics include: present value concepts, financial statement analysis and profit reporting. Course 200 is strongly recommended as preparation.

Advanced topics and current research in macroeconomic theory, including DSGE models, empirical issues, and optimal policy analysis. Prerequisite(s): courses 204A-B-C, 205A-B-C, and 211A-B-C are strongly recommended as preparation.

Meets once a week for one hour to discuss international political and economic events. Students read The Economist, The Wall Street Journal, and pertinent foreign language newspapers and magazines. This reading forms the basis of the weekly discussions. Gives students an opportunity to strengthen their language skills and to apply concepts from their core courses.