Course schedule with links

This is our official, dynamic course schedule. Check back frequently for updates. 

Week 1: Intro – What is “The Market” anyway?

M Jan 9: Introduction

W 11:  Liberalism, in the classical sense. Dean Baker, Taking Economics Seriously. Listen to This American Life podcast if time permits. It will help you understand some of Baker’s ideas.

F 13:  Provocations and precursors. Read Hobbes (chapter XIII – skim other chapters if you have time) and Mandeville (for some interesting background, read this, and check out the larger site more generally for good explanations of some of the concepts we cover).

Week 2 – Direct influences on Smith

M 16: MLK day. No class.

W 18: Read Hutcheson and Swift.

F 20: First writing day. Read Nancy Sommers. Make sure you are following class blog.

Week 3 – Smith, and our first current event reading

M 23:  Read Smith.  

W 25: Reading TBA. Post response to weekly current events reading by Wednesday’s class and leave two comments on another student’s blog by Friday’s class.

F 27: Bring in rough draft.

Week 4 – Recessions

M 30: Read Krugman.

W February 1: Reading TBA.

F 3:  Bring in rough draft.  

Week 5 – Division of labor and recessions

M 6: Read Smith. First paper due by 5pm.

W 8: Reading TBA.

F 10:  Possible library day or writing workshop.

Week 6 – The political economy of recessions

M 13: Read Marx (especially section 2), Beggs, and Krugman.

W 15: Reading TBA.

F 17:  Bring rough draft for peer editing. 

Week 7 – Money, then and now

M 20: Read Smith.

W 22: Reading TBA.  

F 24: Bring rough draft for peer editing.

Week 8: Topics fair

M 27: Paper 2 due by 5pm. Short presentations.

W 29: Short presentations.

March 2: Short presentations.

Week 9 – Spring break

M 5: No class. Spring break. 

W 7: No class.

F 9: No class. 

Week 10 – Crisis theory, recessions, and the origins of macroeconomics

M 12: Read Mills (via Delong) and Marx (especially section 3).

W 14: Reading TBA.

F 16: Writing workshop or possible library day.  

Week 11 – Recessions – a political or an economic problem?

M 19:  Read Marx, Delong, and Delong (which explains the issue in a slightly different way).

W 21: Reading TBA.

F 23: Bring in rough draft for peer editing.  

Week 12 – The moderns read the classics

M 26: Read Keynes (primarily section VI).

W 28:  Reading TBA

F 30: Bring in rough draft.

Week 13 – Becoming classical again?

M April 2: Read Sumner. Paper 3 due by 5pm.

W 4: Reading TBA

F 6: Easter break. No class. 

Week 14 – Finishing touches

M 9: Easter break. No class. 

W 11: Reading TBA.  

F 13: Writing workshop.  

Week 15 – Almost there

M 16: Bring in rough draft.  

W 18: Peer editing/workshopping.

F 20: Peer editing/workshopping.

Week 16

M 23: Last day of class. No final exam.

W 25: Study day. Final paper due by April 26^th at 5pm.

F 27: Exams.