Economics

Economics and Personal Finance develop economic reasoning through an analysis of the U.S. economy, the global economy, and personal finance. The course covers fundamental principles of economics, including an examination of markets from both historical and current perspectives; the basics of supply and demand; the theories of early economic philosophers such as Adam Smith and David Ricardo; theories of value; the concept of money and how it evolved; the role of banks, investment houses, and the Federal Reserve; Keynesian economics; the productivity, wages, investment, and growth involved in capitalism; unemployment, inflation, and the national debt; and a survey of markets in areas such as China, Europe, and the Middle East. The course extends the ability of each student to understand these principles in the context of personal finance, exploring issues such as career planning, budgeting, credit, taxes, investing, insurance, loans, and major purchases.