Economics, as a study in human behavior, relates to all of us. Behind Economic theories are stories of people and their lives as consumers, workers, and citizens in an inter-connected world. It is the story of a Brazilian farmer who grows coffee beans brewed into espresso in Paris and Montreal. It is the story of a New York architect working with engineers in Tokyo to build a school in Cairo. And it is the story of a Chinese migrant worker who sends money home so that his children can go to college to achieve their dreams. To study Economics is to study the choices of these people given the constraints they face and the individual and collective consequences of their choices.
In this course, we introduce you to the basic principles and theories of Economics. We start from microeconomics — the study of the decision-making of individuals, households, and firms, to macroeconomics — the study of output, inflation, unemployment, and various aggregate phenomena that are the results of millions of individuals interacting with each other through the market place.
Throughout the course, we will build models, read papers, watch films, discuss current events, and get our hands dirty with real economic data. You will be learning some statistical tools and programming along the way. The goal is to equip you with a fundamental understanding of how the economy works and develop your skills in using economic thinking and statistical tools to analyze the world.
- Instructor: Jiaming Mao
- Email: jmao@xmu.edu.cn
- Homepage: jiamingmao.github.io/principles-of-economics