ECON104-23S1 (C) Semester One 2023

Introduction to Microeconomics

15 points

Details:
Start Date: Monday, 20 February 2023
End Date: Sunday, 25 June 2023
Withdrawal Dates
Last Day to withdraw from this course:
  • Without financial penalty (full fee refund): Sunday, 5 March 2023
  • Without academic penalty (including no fee refund): Sunday, 14 May 2023

Description

Scarcity, exchange and trade. Market analysis and policy. Consumer choice theory. Theory of the firm. Imperfect competition. Externalities and public goods.

ECON104 aims to:
• Develop economically literate citizens.
• Provide students with experience in basic economic methodology and analysis.
• Introduce students to the process of economic reasoning.
• Enhance students’ ability to critically interpret the economic ‘wisdom’ of the popular media.
• Provide preparation for further study in the subject (specifically with reference to courses at Canterbury).

ECON104 studies microeconomics, which examines theories of how consumers and producers behave and interact in individual markets. The course covers a general study of the workings of markets and a more in depth analysis of the two sides – supply (producers) and demand (consumers). The course also covers issues that do not fit the conventional assumptions of the supply and demand framework.

ECON104 is a prerequisite for ECON207 and 208, both of which are compulsory for students majoring in Economics or Business Economics. ECON104 is also required by NZICA and serves as a prerequisite for management courses.
Mathematics, in the form of simple algebra, will be used to introduce students to formal economic analysis and to complement the graphical and verbal exposition of material.

Learning Outcomes

1. Students will be able to 'think like an economist', and apply basic economic principles such as the role incentives play in people's behaviour.
2. Students will understand the concept of market efficiency, and will be able to analyse the impact of government policies.
3. Students will be able to identify and evaluate occasions when markets function best without direct government involvement.
4. Students will be able to identify and evaluate occasions when markets left on their own are unlikely to result in the best outcomes, and discuss the role of government in these markets.
5. Students will be able to use the theories of economics to describe and explain the behaviour of people and firms.

University Graduate Attributes

This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attributes specified below:

Critically competent in a core academic discipline of their award

Students know and can critically evaluate and, where applicable, apply this knowledge to topics/issues within their majoring subject.

Restrictions

Timetable 2023

Students must attend one activity from each section.

Lecture A
Activity Day Time Location Weeks
01 Monday 10:00 - 11:00 Haere-roa 118 Ngaio Marsh Theatre
20 Feb - 2 Apr
24 Apr - 4 Jun
02 Monday 15:00 - 16:00 K1 Lecture Theatre
20 Feb - 2 Apr
24 Apr - 4 Jun
Lecture B
Activity Day Time Location Weeks
01 Tuesday 10:00 - 11:00 A1 Lecture Theatre
20 Feb - 2 Apr
24 Apr - 4 Jun
02 Tuesday 15:00 - 16:00 K1 Lecture Theatre
20 Feb - 2 Apr
24 Apr - 4 Jun
Lecture C
Activity Day Time Location Weeks
01 Wednesday 10:00 - 11:00 Haere-roa 118 Ngaio Marsh Theatre
20 Feb - 2 Apr
24 Apr - 4 Jun
02 Wednesday 15:00 - 16:00 K1 Lecture Theatre
20 Feb - 2 Apr
24 Apr - 4 Jun
Tutorial A
Activity Day Time Location Weeks
01 Friday 11:00 - 12:00 Meremere 526
6 Mar - 2 Apr
24 Apr - 4 Jun
02 Thursday 15:00 - 16:00 A9 Lecture Theatre
6 Mar - 2 Apr
24 Apr - 4 Jun
03 Thursday 13:00 - 14:00 John Britten 117 HP Seminar Room
6 Mar - 2 Apr
24 Apr - 4 Jun
04 Thursday 15:00 - 16:00 A8 Lecture Theatre
6 Mar - 2 Apr
24 Apr - 4 Jun
05 Friday 09:00 - 10:00 Elsie Locke 104A
6 Mar - 2 Apr
24 Apr - 4 Jun
06 Friday 09:00 - 10:00 Ernest Rutherford 225
6 Mar - 2 Apr
24 Apr - 4 Jun
07 Thursday 11:00 - 12:00 Link 309 Lecture Theatre
6 Mar - 2 Apr
24 Apr - 4 Jun
10 Friday 11:00 - 12:00 Jack Erskine 445
6 Mar - 2 Apr
24 Apr - 4 Jun
11 Thursday 14:00 - 15:00 John Britten 117 HP Seminar Room
6 Mar - 2 Apr
24 Apr - 4 Jun
12 Friday 13:00 - 14:00 Jack Erskine 445
6 Mar - 2 Apr
24 Apr - 4 Jun
13 Thursday 08:00 - 09:00 Beatrice Tinsley 112
6 Mar - 2 Apr
24 Apr - 4 Jun
14 Thursday 14:00 - 15:00 A8 Lecture Theatre
6 Mar - 2 Apr
24 Apr - 4 Jun
15 Friday 12:00 - 13:00 A8 Lecture Theatre
6 Mar - 2 Apr
24 Apr - 4 Jun
17 Tuesday 11:00 - 12:00 Jack Erskine 111
6 Mar - 2 Apr
24 Apr - 4 Jun
18 Tuesday 12:00 - 13:00 Jack Erskine 111
6 Mar - 2 Apr
24 Apr - 4 Jun
19 Tuesday 13:00 - 14:00 Beatrice Tinsley 112
6 Mar - 2 Apr
24 Apr - 4 Jun

Examination and Formal Tests

Test A
Activity Day Time Location Weeks
01 Tuesday 18:30 - 20:00 C1 Lecture Theatre
27 Mar - 2 Apr
02 Tuesday 18:30 - 20:00 A1 Lecture Theatre
27 Mar - 2 Apr
03 Tuesday 18:30 - 20:00 C2 Lecture Theatre
27 Mar - 2 Apr
04 Tuesday 18:30 - 20:00 C3 Lecture Theatre
27 Mar - 2 Apr
05 Tuesday 18:30 - 20:00 Rehua 005
27 Mar - 2 Apr

Course Coordinator

Steve Agnew

Assessment

Assessment Due Date Percentage  Description
Final Exam 45%
Online quizzes 20% Weekly
Online progress tests 10%
Term test 25%

Textbooks / Resources

Recommended Reading

Parkin, M., & Bade, R; Microeconomics ; Pearson, Australia, 2016.

Some very readable books which give a very good introduction to the key ideas in economics include:
"New Ideas from Dead Economists" by Todd Buchholz
"The Undercover Economist" by Tim Harford
"Freakonomics" by Steven Levitt & Stephen Dubner

Indicative Fees

Domestic fee $868.00

International fee $4,075.00

* All fees are inclusive of NZ GST or any equivalent overseas tax, and do not include any programme level discount or additional course-related expenses.

For further information see Department of Economics and Finance .

All ECON104 Occurrences