Economics 100: Survey of Economics

Economics 100:

Economics 100 Introductory Page

Course Topics

Syllabus

Economics 100 Home Page via My WebCT (password required)

Human Society and the Global Economy

Gallery of Economists

Economics Online:

Economics Online at BCC

Is an online economics course for you?

Papers for Online Economics Courses

Online Resources for Economics Students

Electronic Reserve Desk for Online Economics (password required)



Other Online Economics Courses:

Economics 200: Principles of Macroeconomics

Economics 201: Principles of Microeconomics

Other Links:

Instructor's Home Page

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Distance Education Office (Registration Information)
   

Introductory Page

A 5-Credit Online Course

Economics 100

Bellevue Community College -- Distance Education

Instructor: Kit Sims Taylor


This introductory page for Survey of Economics provides students and prospective students access to the syllabus and other materials. Other course materials are password-protected and only available to registered students.

What is Economics?

Economics is about money
and why it is good.
--- Woody Allen


Almost everything in economics is controversial. We even disagree on how to define economics. Some economists like to focus on the mathematical tools of economics and define the field as the "science of choice." Others, including myself and David Colander (the author of the textbooks I use in Economics 200 and 201) focus more on economic institutions. Colander offers the following definitions:
The economy is the institutional structure through which individuals in a society coordinate their diverse wants or desires. Economics is the study of the economy. That is, economics is the study of how human beings in a society coordinate their wants and desires.
My own definition is similar, but puts emphasis on the evolution of the economy through time:
Economics is the investigation of the evolution of market, institutional and technological forces as they affect production and distribution within a capitalist social formation.

Of course it takes more than a sentence to explain what economics is about. The curious student can also look deeper into my definition of economics by reading "Economies, Economics and Economists," which is the introductory chapter of my textbook-in-progress for this course.



Course Content in Brief

  • Examines the economy in historical perspective;

  • Covers the theories of the major economists, particularly Smith, Ricardo, Marx, Keynes, and Schumpeter;

  • Focuses on economic growth and the factors that accelerate or retard economic growth;

  • Examines the roles of government in a modern economy, including antitrust laws, monetary policy and fiscal policy.

Go to the Course Topics page for a more extensive description of course content. Prospective students can also get a more complete description of the themes of this course from "Economies, Economics and Economists."

Transferability

The Survey of Economics course transfers to 4-year colleges and counts toward social science distribution credit requirements. It also applies toward social science certification for most teaching credentials (check with your program to be sure). I would particularly recommend Economics 100 for high school teachers who want to incorporate more economic concepts and issues into their history, government, and other social studies courses.

Prerequisites

College level reading and writing ability is absolutely necessary for success in this course.

Registration

For registration information, contact the Bellevue Community College Office of Distance Education.
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