[Not all of the courses taught by Professor Evans are listed here - this list is updated as time permits]. Some of these courses below have course outlines and others do not. Usually the course outlines available here are for courses recently taught, so the outline may be somewhat different the next time the class is taught.
Economics 53 Macroeconomics (typically offered in the Spring). - This is an introductory course in Macroeconomics. The course includes a mixture of theory and a discussion of economic institutions, practices, and policy. Topics include but are not restricted to fiscal and monetary policy, theories of business cycles, economic growth, interest rate determination, causes of recessions and inflation, employment and unemployment, changing markets, and international trade. There are no prerequisites. The Course Outline and most recent Course Calendar [Spring 2008] are available for this course. There are some Course Assignments and related material and Lecture Slides posted for this course.
Economics 103 Classics of Economic Thought - A detailed survey course of the thinking and writing of an individual economist. This might be a course about John M. Keynes, Karl Marx, Thorstein Veblen, or any other economist of equivalent stature. During Fall 2000 a course entitled The Economics of Thorstein Veblen was is offered. A Course Outline, Course Calendar [Spring 2008] and Course Assignments are posted for this course.
Economics 104 Financial Economics (typically offered in the Spring). - A survey of modern U.S. financial institutions and sources of capital, including the stock markets, bond markets, money markets, and real estate. Extensive discussion of financial assets traded in these markets, how the markets and these assets have changed over time, and how they contribute to capital formation in the United States. Theories of interest rate determination and asset valuation. The Course Outline and most recent Course Calendar [Spring 2008] are available for this course. There are also some Course Assignments and Lecture Slides posted for this course.
Economics 108 Government and Fiscal Monetary Policy - Includes an in-depth examination of the federal budget, deficits and the debt, budgetary enforcement, line-item spending, tax policy and theories of the impact of government economic activity upon the rest of the economy. Monetary policy emphasizes the policy and activities of the Federal Reserve System, efforts to influence interest rates, money growth, and credit, and studies of policy options. The Course Outline and Course Calendar [Fall 2005] are available for this course. There are also some Course Reading Assignments posted for this course.
Economics 136 Financial Markets and Modeling - Futures, Options, and Other Derivatives - Financial uncertainty in today's volatile markets generates significant and undesirable business risk. Modern business strategy seeks to reduce that risk, in part, through the use of complex financial instruments called derivatives. This course introduces students to the world of derivatives. We explore the different classes of derivatives, and their designs and applications. We will discover how the use of certain derivatives can mitigate or even eliminate certain types of business risk. Topics to be covered include a review of compounding and discounting formulas and measures of risk and volatility and the statistical means to make estimates of those measures. We then begin a systematic discussion of specific types of derivatives and their applications, including put and call options, futures and forward contracts and futures options for all classes of contracts, including foreign exchange rates and interest rates, and custom derivatives. Throughout the course we explore a series of value and pricing models, such as the Black-Scholes model. Students are introduced to numerous realistic problems and case studies. By the end of the course, students should be able to directly evaluate and resolve a very wide range of business risk scenarios through the creative use of derivatives. The Course Outline and Course Calendar [Fall 2008] are available for this course. There are also some Course Assignments and Lecture Slides posted for this course.
Humanities 1 The Economics of Oil and Energy - An introductory first-semester freshman course devoted to improving writing skills and critical analysis concerning a theme developed by your teacher. Because I am an economist, I thought that first-year students might be very interested in the economics of oil and energy. There is a lot to be learned here and this subject is very topical and important. During the 2008 summer crude oil surged to nearly $150 per barrel and caused, among other things, a rise in gasoline prices to above $4 per gallon, contributing to general global economic distress. Candidates for the November 2008 presidential elections are in the process of developing competing energy policies (believe it or not, the United States does not currently have a coherent energy policy). Maybe we can help, or if not help, at least try to understand the energy picture a little bit better. We will begin by reading three texts together on oil and energy and review a lot of current data on energy websites, such as that maintained by the Energy Information Agency of the U.S. Government. We will use that data in part to confirm or disavow some of the claims that are made in the books that we are reading. Each week we will have class discussions of the material read and try to arrive at a general understanding of the status quo and later in the semester begin to explore options for change in the future. From time to time I will give a lecture about some aspect of energy economics and our teaching assistant and I will also give some lectures about writing. In our discussions we will raise a series of very specific questions that we will try to answer, such as, “Will it be possible to reduce oil imports to zero by 2020?” Review the Course Outline and Course Calendar for more information about the course. There is also some Course Material posted for this course.
Economics 179/Humanities 2 - Classics of Economic Thought - In this class we will read a selection of classical texts in Political Economy. The authors will include Thomas Malthus, Adam Smith, David Ricardo, J.A. Hobson and an overview written by Robert Heilbroner. These books were very influential - they all had a profound impact upon popular opinion and politics - and if it can be argued that ideas influence history, they probably had a considerable impact upon the course taken by history over the last two centuries. I want to give you some exposure to these ideas in their original form and to trace the relationship between these old ideas to their modern counterparts. You will be asked to write a research paper based upon economic writing from the classical period. A Course Outline and Course Calendar [Spring 2007] and Course Assignments are posted for this course.
Social Sciences 147s Enterprise and the Entrepreneur (typically offered in the Fall and restricted to 20 students). - Do believe in a Koz that you want to promote? Do you have what it takes to run your own business? What role is played by the entrepreneur in our market economy? We discuss all of this and more. This is a course where the student plays a very active role, including getting up on your feet to promote your causes and pitch your ideas. In the second half of the course you have to work as part of a team, building and promoting your own organization. Are you still confused about what we do in this unconventional course? Then read the Course Outline and the Course Calendar [Fall 2008] for the most recent course. There are also some Course Assignments and Lecture Slides posted for this course. There are no prerequisites for this course. This course can be regarded as an economics course in satisfying our department's requirements.
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