Lecturer: Professor Frances Ruane

Lecture Times: Wed: 10.00; Thurs 12.00; 13.00 (occasional)

Teaching Assistants: David Comerford, Keith Walsh, Haiyan Wang, Kevin Zhang.

The text book for this course is Michael Parkin, Melanie Powell and Kent Matthews Economics, Addison Wesley Publishers, 2005, 6th edition. It is essential that you purchase the textbook which give you access to an invaluable website which will support your effective learning of Economics. (If you have access to other introductory economics textbooks, you may find them helpful, but note that the general approach being followed is that adopted by Parkin, Powell and Matthews (PPM)). It is expected that the micro section of the course this year will cover Chapters 1-6, 9-13, and parts of 14-18.

In addition to the test at the end of the Michaelmas term (accounting for 20 percent of the annual assessment for the full course) there will also be two self-assessment tests during the Michaelmas term to help to guide you on your progress. In additional, you will have access to MyEconLab as a benefit from purchasing PPM, and this will allow you to monitor your own progress throughout the year.

Extra Reading:

While this introductory module is textbook-based, those of you who have a particular interest in economics should try to read more widely. In addition to referring to other textbooks where you find this helpful, to improve your economic literacy you may also wish to look at:

The Economist magazine, published weekly; The Financial Times, published daily.

Recent publications on the Irish economy, e.g., The Medium Term Review and Quarterly Economic Commentary published by the Economic and Social Research Institute; the annual budget speech (on the Department of Finance Website) and related media coverage; reports of the National Economic and Social Council; and the government's new plan for 2000-2007

O'Hagan, JW and C. Newman (eds.) The Economy of Ireland: National and Sectoral Policy Issues Gill & Macmillan, 2005. ISBN 0-717-124-037

Barry, Frank (ed.) Understanding Ireland's Economic Growth, Macmillan Press, 1999. ISBN 0-7171-3840-2

For some much lighter (and quirkier) reading relevant to economics, you might like to look at:

Trow, Stuart Bluff Your Way in Economics, Ravette Publishing, 1996. (Note that reading this book alone will NOT get you through JF Economics but it does have helpful summaries of key ideas, especially in Macro Economics.) ISBN 1-85304-581-0

Goscinny and Uderzo: An Asterix Adventure: Obelix and Company, Hodder Dargaud (1987) (This reinforces some of the basic issues of supply and demand.) ISBN 0-340-25307-X

Jevons, Marshall: Murder at the Margin, Thomas Horton and Company, 1978. (This is a simple "whodunit", where basic concepts in economics are used to try to solve a murder mystery.) ISBN 0-913878-16-2.

View Lecture Presentations

Contact Teaching Assistants if you are missing any of the problem sets

frances.ruane@tcd.ie

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