Syllabus for ECON 2000

Important note: Lectures and other class activities for this class will be fully online, unless otherwise required by
the University. This syllabus is meant to contain all the relevant information for this course. As your FIRST assignment,
you are to read this document and then mark it as completed on Moodle. Failure to do so will result in a grade of 0 on
your first Homework. To allow me to focus on more important emails, you must make sure to consult the syllabus before
sending me an email to ask a question. At the start of the semester, you all are given one bonus point. You will lose this
bonus point IF you ask me, whether via LSU email, Zoom, Discord, or other means of communication outside class, a
question that can be answered by the syllabus. You will also lose the bonus point if you do not follow other instructions
stated in this syllabus.

ECON 2000 Section 3 0900-10:20 AM T,TH

Instructor: Abigail Peralta

Virtual Offices:
a. Zoom Meeting ID 979-739-4355
Password: 2311
Hours Online on Zoom: 12- 1 PM Tuesdays and Thursdays and by appointment
b. Discord Server Invite Link: https://discord.gg/sdX6qHz
I am online pretty much everyday from Monday to Saturday, generally between 12 noon-8pm
Monday to Friday. Use Discord if you just have quick questions or want to set up a Zoom
appointment. Our server is essentially a group chat. If you have concerns that you prefer to keep
private, email me instead or set up a one-on-one Zoom or Discord Meeting.

Course Description: This course provides an introduction to Microeconomic Theory. Microeconomics is a study of
individual behavior, that of households, firms and government, and how they interact with each other. In this course we
will cover aspects of this behavior, including scarcity and choice, opportunity cost, demand and supply, determination of
prices, firm behavior in perfect and imperfect markets, government regulation and additional topics as time permits.

Prerequisite(s): There are no prerequisites for this course, however, basic mathematical skills and ability to read graphs
will be essential.

Credit Hours: 3

Reference Textbooks:

1. Principles of Microeconomics | 9th Edition by N. Gregory Mankiw, Cengage Learning.

-previous editions may also work, however, I will be using the 9th edition.
2. Principles of Microeconomics 2e at OpenStax College (This is an open-source textbook with accompanying
student resources, available free of charge at: https://openstax.org/details/books/principles-microeconomics-2e)

Course Objectives:
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
1. Understand consumer and firm behavior;
2. Understand how changes in demand and supply affect market price and quantity;
3. Use economics principles and tools to analyze topics such as taxation and trade policies
4. Tell apart different market structures.

Class Resources:
Moodle: We have Moodle set up for our class. Moodle is accessible at https://lsu37.myopenlms.net/. Use your PAWS ID
or email and the appropriate password. I will post course announcements and other course material on Moodle, so make
sure that you all have access. For those of you that wish to prepare ahead of time, raw lecture notes will be on Moodle from
the beginning of the semester. I may also post modified lecture notes ahead of each class. Check Moodle before class so
that you can print whatever you need and take notes during class.
I will also import additional course material, including VIDEOS onto Moodle. You may use these resources to enhance
your understanding of the course. The videos where I solve problems will be very useful to you in answering the Homework
assignments and Exams. I will point out that these tutorials only cover selected topics in each chapter, so do not use them
as a substitute for reading the assigned chapter and understanding the class lectures.

Contacting me: The best way to contact me is through email ([email protected]). Other options include Zoom and Discord.

Attendance:
Regular attendance is expected. I may track attendance using regular class participation activities.

Class Guidelines: https://sites01.lsu.edu/wp/policiesprocedures/policies-procedures/22/

https://www.lsu.edu/saa/students/codeofconduct.php

1. All students are expected to follow the LSU Code of Conduct.

2. In addition to attending class, I also expect you to keep up with all assignments and assigned exercises. Redacted
lecture notes will be posted online. However, these notes may not cover everything discussed in class. If you miss
class for any reason, you should obtain any lecture notes you need from a classmate.
3. As a courtesy to me and fellow students, show up on time, do not leave before class ends and refrain from
disruptive behavior. If you have a question during the lecture, I encourage you to ask it in class by raising your hand.

Grading Policies:

Midterm, In-Class Exams: There will be three in-class exams, separate from the Final Exam. I will announce
the exam coverage in class and on Moodle. Each exam will cover material related to what was discussed in class.
Exams will be closed-book and non-cumulative. However, since learning in economics is inherently cumulative, I
encourage you to clear up any points of confusion before each exam. You are responsible for your own answer
sheets, a non-programmable calculator, a #2 pencil, an eraser and your Student ID. In the event that an exam is
given online, you are still expected to comply with the LSU Code of Conduct. This includes submitting your own
work, and not discussing the exam with others. Multiple choice questions can be answered directly on Moodle.
For answers to short-answer questions, scan or take pictures of your homework and save it as a single PDF (I
usually copy paste pictures to a word document and save it as a PDF, but you do you), with page numbers that
clearly indicate how many pages your homework consists of (e.g., page 1 of 2, page 2 of 2).

The Code of Conduct applies to exams. You are NOT allowed to discuss ideas with each other, and each
submitted exam must be your own individual work.

There will be no make-up for missed exams. I will drop your lowest in-class exam. If you miss two exams, your
final exam score will replace your second missed exam.

Final Exam: The Final Exam is cumulative. You are responsible for bringing a scantron (the small green one)
answer sheet, a #2 pencil, an eraser and your Student ID. In the event that an exam is given online, you are still
expected to comply with the LSU Code of Conduct. This includes submitting your own work, and not discussing
the exam with other classmates. Multiple choice questions can be answered directly on Moodle. For answers to
short-answer questions, scan or take pictures of your homework and save it as a single PDF (I usually copy paste
pictures to a word document and save it as a PDF, but you do you), with page numbers that clearly indicate how
many pages your homework consists of (e.g., page 1 of 2, page 2 of 2).

Exam dates are as stated in the tentative outline and the Final Exam schedule is posted on the LSU website:
If you know of any conflict with these dates, let me know as soon as possible.
The exams will be a mix of multiple choice/true or false questions, fill in the blank questions, short answer
questions, word and math problems, draw-a-graph questions and bonus questions.

Homework assignments: There will be a homework due approximately every week. The grading policy for each
homework will be announced on Moodle. So that I can post answers in a timely fashion no late submissions will
be accepted. There will be no make-up for missed homework. Links to the homework assignments will be posted
on Moodle. Multiple choice questions can be answered directly on Moodle. For answers to short-answer
questions, scan or take pictures of your homework and save it as a single PDF (I usually copy paste pictures to a
 word document and save it as a PDF, but you do you), with page numbers that clearly indicate how many pages
your homework consists of (e.g., page 1 of 2, page 2 of 2). You will also submit your homework on Moodle.
I will make the homework announcements both in class and on Moodle. The Code of Conduct applies to
Homework. While you are allowed to discuss ideas with each other, each submitted homework must be your own
individual work.

Quizzes: There will be a quiz during regular class hours approximately every lecture. The Code of Conduct
applies to Quizzes. If you are not in class, you will have to watch the recording of the class you missed in order to
answer the quiz. These quizzes will only be graded for effort.

Grade Distribution:
At the start of the semester, you all are given one bonus point. You will lose this bonus point IF you ask me, whether via
LSU email, Zoom, Discord, or other means of communication outside class, a question that can be answered by the
syllabus. You will also lose the bonus point if you do not follow instructions stated in this syllabus. Otherwise, this bonus
point will be added to your final grade at the end of the semester. The only other bonus credits available to you are the
bonus questions during exams. Extenuating circumstances will not be considered in the determination of grades.

Bonus Points 1
Homework 20
Quizzes 20
Exam 1 20
Exam 2 20
Final Exam 20

Grading Scale:

Letter Lowest Highest

A+ 97.00% 100.00%
A 93.00% 96.99%
A- 90.00% 92.99%
B+ 87.00% 89.99%
B 83.00% 86.99%
B- 80.00% 82.99%
C+ 77.00% 79.99%
C 73.00% 76.99%
C- 70.00% 72.99%
D+ 67.00% 69.99%
D 63.00% 66.99%
D- 60.00% 62.99%
F 0.00% 59.99%

Using Calculators:
You may use an electronic calculator during exams. Programmable calculators are not permitted. Graphing calculators
are not permitted. Calculators that allow you to enter text are not permitted. You may not use your cellular phone or any
other wireless communication devices (such as tablets) as calculator. You may not share your calculators.

Americans with Disabilities Act:

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal anti-discrimination statute that provides comprehensive civil
rights protection for persons with disabilities. Among other things, this legislation requires that all students with
disabilities be guaranteed a learning environment that provides for reasonable accommodation of their disabilities. If you
believe you have a disability requiring an accommodation, please contact LSU Disability Services, currently located at the
Office of the Dean of Students, 124 Johnston Hall or call 225-578-5919, email: [email protected] . For additional
information, visit https://www.lsu.edu/disability/.

Academic Integrity:

Students suspected of violating the LSU Code of Student Conduct will be reported to Student Advocacy &
Accountability, who will determine if the student is in violation. The first academic violation may result in a grade of zero
on the particular course requirement, and may lead to the student failing the class with disciplinary probation until
graduation. A second academic violation could result in suspension from LSU. Ignorance of the rules does not exclude
any member of the LSU community from disciplinary action. Every student is required to read and follow the guidelines
written in the LSU Code of Student Conduct and Commitment to Community:
https://www.lsu.edu/saa/students/codeofconduct.php and https://www.lsu.edu/deanofstudents/about/commitment-to-
community.php

Tips:
1. You will get more out of this class if you at least skim the textbook(s) before or even after each class, or at least
every week.
2. Doing well in this class will require you to reason through and solve problems. It will not be enough to memorize
the material, you must practice.
3. You are encouraged to form study groups to work through homework or other review problems (but not quizzes
and exams). If you choose to form a study group, use it to discuss ideas and solution strategies. Do not just copy
each other’s homework.
4. I have regular office hours and am willing to find other times that will work with your schedule. If you are
struggling in class, ask for help. Do not wait until the end of the semester to clear up points of confusion.
Tentative Course Outline: Topics and dates are subject to change. Do NOT use this course outline as a study guide for
the exams. Exam dates will NOT change unless LSU makes major changes to the Fall Schedule.

WEEK DATE TOPIC/Book Chapter REMARKS

Week Aug 25 2. Appendix: Graphing: A Brief Review.
1 Aug 27 4. The Market Forces of Supply and Demand.
Week Sep 1 4. The Market Forces of Supply and Demand.
2 Sep 3 5. Elasticity and Its Application.
Week Sep 8 5. Elasticity and Its Application.
3 Sep 10 6. Supply, Demand, and Government Policies.
Week Sep 15 7. Consumers, Producers, and the Efficiency of Markets.
4 Sep 17 EXAM 1 online exam
Week Sep 22 8. Application: The Costs of Taxation.
5 Sep 24 10. Externalities.
Week Sep 29 10. Externalities.
6 Oct 1 11. Public Goods and Common Resources.
Week Oct 6 12. The Design of the Tax System.
7 Oct 8 13. The Costs of Production.
Week Oct 13 13. The Costs of Production.
8 Oct 15 14. Firms in Competitive Markets.
Week Oct 20 14. Firms in Competitive Markets.
9 Oct 22 EXAM 2 online exam
Week Oct 27 15. Monopoly.
10 Oct 29 15. Monopoly.
Week Nov 3 16. Monopolistic Competition.
11 Nov 5 17. Oligopoly.
Week Nov 10 17. Oligopoly.
12 Nov 12 TBA
Week Nov 17 TBA
13 Nov 19 EXAM 3 online exam
Week Nov 24
THANKSGIVING WEEK
14 Nov 26
Week Dec 1 TBA
15 Dec 3 TBA
Week online exam
FINALS WEEK
16 (cumulative)

Should minor revisions of policies in this syllabus be made, you will be notified.