Economics 333 - Macroeconomic Theory

Dr. John F. Olson      e-mail: jolson@csbsju.edu

 

These two "datalink" pages contain URLs to access websites with current reports and information, research, and data on the U.S. macro-economy:

    GDP/Labor/Prices: http://www.employees.csbsju.edu/jolson/datalink1.htm

    Money & Federal Reserve: http://www.employees.csbsju.edu/jolson/datalink2.htm

Perhaps the most comprehensive Economics website is Bill Goffe's Resources for Economists on the Internet

Fall 2007 Course Syllabus

        PowerPoint slides for A, B, & C text

        Companion website for A, B, & C text (then click on Student Resources)

 

Link to Macroeconomic Data Files page

Links to the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)
       NBER Home
       NBER - Business Cycles (information)
       NBER - Business Cycles Expansions and Contractions (dates)

Hand-out on NIPA relationships (assigned)
       MS-Word .doc version
       Web .htm version

BEA's "A Guide to the NIPA's" at http://www.bea.gov/bea/an/nipaguid.pdf (assigned)
        The current version of this excellent article was published in September 2006.

        For the most recent (2003) Comprehensive Revision, see the links at 
            http://www.bea.gov/bea/dn/2003benchmark/CR2003content.htm
        the summary article on the revision's results 
            http://www.bea.gov/bea/ARTICLES/2004/02February/0204NIPAarticle.pdf (assigned)
        and subsequent annual summary up-date documents at:
            http://www.bea.gov/bea/ARTICLES/2004/11November/1104NIPAMeth.pdf
            http://www.bea.gov/bea/ARTICLES/2005/11November/1105_NIPAMeth.pdf
            http://www.bea.gov/bea/ARTICLES/2006/11Novemberx/1106_nipa_method.pdf

        Information about and articles on the results of each of the subsequent three Annual Revisions and can be found at: 
            2004 http://www.bea.gov/bea/dn/2004annual/2004annual.htm
                    http://www.bea.gov/bea/ARTICLES/2004/08August/0804niparev.pdf
            2005 http://www.bea.gov/bea/dn/2005annual/2005annual.htm
                    http://www.bea.gov/bea/ARTICLES/2005/08August/0805_NIPA_Revision.pdf
            2006 http://www.bea.gov/bea/dn/2006annual/2006annual.htm
                    http://www.bea.gov/bea/ARTICLES/2006/08August/NIPA_annualUPDATE.pdf

Other descriptions of BEA methodologies can be accessed at http://www.bea.gov/bea/mp.htm

Link to issues of the BEA's Survey of Current Business at http://www.bea.gov/scb/index.htm
        This publication has many useful methodological and analytical articles.

An interesting NBER working paper essay by Robert W. Fogel (1990 co-winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics) about Simon Kuznets (3rd winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics), often referred to as the "father" of national income accounting in the U.S.  (note: access-restricted to CSB/SJU networked computers)

An interesting and relevant discussion about data revisions, forecasting, and policy-making in:  "Through a Glass, Darkly:  How Data Revisions Complicate Monetary Policy" from Dallas FRB, Economic Letter, Vol. 1, No. 12, December 2006.

BLS documents on measuring Consumer Price Index:
       http://www.bls.gov/cpi/cpiovrvw.htm(assigned)
       http://www.bls.gov/cpi/cpifaq.htm(assigned)
       http://www.bls.gov/cpi/cpiadd.htm (assigned)
       http://www.bls.gov/cpi/cpifact2.htm(assigned)

       Additional information and data on the CPI at http://www.bls.gov/cpi/home.htm

BLS document on "How the Government Measures Unemployment" at  http://www.bls.gov/cps/cps_htgm.htm (assigned)

Additional information and data on employment and unemployment can be accessed at the BLS web-pages for the Current Population Survey  http://www.bls.gov/cps/home.htm and the Current Employment Statistics survey  http://www.bls.gov/ces/home.htm

Supplementary Notes on the Cobb-Douglas Production Function (assigned)
       A short empirical note on labor's share:  http://research.stlouisfed.org/publications/net/20040801/cover.pdf
       An interesting research/discussion paper on "Measuring Labor's Share of Income":  http://www.clevelandfed.org/Research/PolicyDis/No7Nov04.pdf

Spreadsheet (Excel) for Long-Run Neo-Classical Macroeconomic Model (assigned)

Document on the Equations Composing the Long-Run Neo-Classical Macroeconomic Model (assigned)

Exercises for Long-Run Neo-Classical Macroeconomic Model

Spreadsheet (Excel) for Short-Run Keynesian Cross & IS-LM model (assigned)

Document on the Equations Composing the IS-LM model (assigned)

Links to Federal Reserve's web-page http://www.federalreserve.gov/policy.htm Monetary Policy descriptions (assigned)
            the FOMC     OMOs     discount rate     reserve requirements

An interesting piece by an FOMC member on contemporary/current policy:
       "A Perspective on Monetary Policy" (Cleveland FRB, Economic Commentary, Feb. 1, 2005)

Dallas FRB article on Irving Fisher:  http://www.dallasfed.org/research/ei/ei0501.html

"Paul Samuelson and Monetary Analysis" (St. Louis FRB, Monetary Trends, April 2005)

There are also links to some interesting items on monetary economics and related subjects on my ECON 374 - Monetary Theory & Policy Analysis - course web-page.

Syllabi from previous semesters/years:

       Spring 2007     Spring 2006     Fall 2005     Spring 2005     Fall 2004

Link to Hall & Papell text web-site for MacroSolve on the Web:  http://www.wwnorton.com/college/econ/hat6/

CSB/SJU Economics Department Homepage:  http://www.csbsju.edu/economics/

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This page last up-dated 9/15/2007 and all hyperlinks checked 1/27/2007 - please report any "dead" hyperlinks to jolson@csbsju.edu

©2004 John F. Olson