The Use of Narrative Interview in Teaching Principles of Macroeconomics

The author describes the design and implementation of one experiential learning assignment used in a principles of macroeconomics course. The learning exercise provides an active role for students and results in a relational experience that provides traditional undergraduate students with a frame of reference with which to interpret the impact of macroeconomic events and policy on their daily lives.     

Learning to do: Facilitating practice in a large introductory macroeconomics class

Contemporary pedagogy encourages instructors to move away from memorization to teaching the ability to “do economics.” In such an environment, students are taught to apply knowledge of economic measurement, the economic model, and economic policy to analyze current events and policies. In this article, the authors build on existing literature describing independent activities by sharing a set of class exercises and assignments that comprise an entire course. The course discussed in this article is a large enrollment introductory course and presents a novel approach to active learning, adapted to this often-challenging context. The course emphasizes engaging students by encouraging them to practice using macroeconomic tools.     

One size doesn’t fit all: A project designing small-scale economic development projects

The authors describe an innovative active learning strategy for a course on the economics of developing countries—a project designing a small-scale economic development project. Student teams research issues faced by developing countries and identify a specific problem in a specific locale. Students then create a detailed, feasible plan to alleviate the problem. Student plans include five key components: justification, implementation, budget, funding and evaluation. After having implemented this project for six years, the authors believe it has the potential to enhance learning and improve analytical, creative problem-solving and research skills. Results from a spring 2017 survey, where students respond favorably to the project, are discussed.     

中国经济周期的非对称性和相关性研究

本文利用时间序列模型等计量方法 ,对一些主要宏观经济变量序列进行随机分解和相关性分析 ,对经济周期的非对称性和长尾性质进行大量实证检验 ,对一些主要宏观经济变量序列之间的扰动和关联进行了计量分析 ,从中不仅识别了经济波动当中的各种非对称类型 ,而且分析了产生非对称的原因。本文分析得到的一些重要检验结果 ,可以作为描述中国经济波动的重要典型化事实 ,可以用于进一步分析和判断中国经济的运行趋势 ,检验和校正相应的经济理论。本文认为中国经济周期的非对称 ,主要是由固定资产投资、财政政策和货币政策的非对称性造成的 ,而价格水平和总需求等因素却保持了比较明显的稳定性。通过经济周期的非对称分析和经济变量周期成分之间的关联性分析 ,我们也具体地分析了宏观经济政策的有效性、方向性和时滞性     

Teaching courses in macroeconomics and monetary policy with Bloomberg analytics

In this article, the authors illustrate the use of Bloomberg for analyzing topics in macroeconomics and monetary policy in economics and finance courses. The hands-on experience that students gain from such a course has many benefits, including deeper learning and clearer understanding of data. The authors describe goals and learning objectives, then compare Bloomberg with Federal Reserve Economic Data (FRED). In addition, they provide examples of how to use Bloomberg in the classroom, describe how to have students perform sector analysis, show how Bloomberg tools are useful for analyzing monetary policy, discuss how to use Bloomberg to analyze the financial sector, and illustrate the platform’s use in a case study.     

Writing in the discipline and reproducible methods: A process-oriented approach to teaching empirical undergraduate economics research

The authors of this article describe an empirical research project as a component of an upper-level undergraduate economics writing-in-the-discipline course, thus aiming to reduce the high fixed costs associated with designing an empirical research project assignment and encourage more undergraduate economics research. This project is central to the course structure and has a dual-purpose: to teach students economics writing conventions and reproducible empirical research methods. The authors present a sequenced project design and replication documentation protocol and posit that this promotes student learning and leads to improvements in organization and coherence throughout the entire research and writing process. As an essential element of the course, students learn to do econometrics through effective writing, data management, and empirical analysis.     

实际经济周期理论及其对中国的启发

基德兰德与普雷斯科特共同开创的实际经济周期理论(RBC理论)获得2004年诺贝尔经济学奖.RBC理论无论其理论本身还是思想方法都对传统理论提出了严峻的挑战,不但改变了宏观经济学的发展方向,也影响了一些国家宏观经济政策的制定.在从经济波动的根源、传导机制、理论模型、政策含义及其所采用的分析方法等方面概述了该理论的主要内容,并在总需求总供给模型框架下将RBC理论与其他宏观经济理论做出了相应比较,最后指出RBC理论在经济周期研究和制定稳定经济政策等方面对我国的启发.     

干中学、低成本竞争和增长路径转变

中国经济增长模式转变已经成为了共识,但大多数分析限于宏观分析,缺少对微观行为的机理讨论。本文从分析“干中学”的演进机制入手,得出了赶超型的供给曲线,然后针对“干中学”引起的套利型一哄而起的低成本竞争模式加以探讨,从理论和典型事实上理解了中国经济增长的内生演进机制和技术要素组合方式,最后提出了通过供给政策和深化市场改革来推进经济增长方式转变的结论。     

Enhancing the teaching of introductory economics with a team-based,multi-section competition

The authors describe a unique approach to enhancing student learning at the introductory economics level that utilizes a multi-section, team-based competition. The competition is structured to supplement learning throughout the entire introductory course. Student teams are presented with current economic issues, trends, or events, and use economic tools and theories to comprehensively examine the topics. Students present their analyses in their own sections with one team from each section moving on to compete in an inter-section round. Students are judged on technicality, creativity, and applicability of economic concepts. The competition has the potential to advance students' creativity, collaboration, communication, and critical and analytical thinking skills, while enhancing their ability to apply foundational economic concepts to real-world settings.     

Creating infographics to enhance student engagement and communication in health economics

In this article, the authors discuss and describe the implementation of and lessons learned from a course project centered on the creation of an infographic in a health economics course and an introduction to health research course. Students were asked to create a simple infographic about a particular topic, after researching and gathering data on that topic. The instructors observed how students synthesized information and data to tell a visual story with their infographic. This article adds to the limited literature regarding infographics in undergraduate instruction. An infographic offers faculty an opportunity to apply active learning strategies to enhance student engagement, retention of information, and communication skills.     

Coordinating macroeconomic policy in a simple AK growth model

Modern theories of government finance stress the importance of an economy’s fiscal deficits in determining the course of monetary policy. Modern growth theory stresses the role of monetary factors in economic growth. This paper explores how these two are interrelated, using a simple AK growth model, one with money, reserve requirements, and government debt. We provide a comprehensive look at the coordination of macroeconomic policy and its effects on long-run growth under three alternative coordinating arrangements. We uncover some unconventional results regarding the relationship between growth and a number of policy variables; these rest squarely on the constraint of the coordination process.     

International Markets and Open Economy Macroeconomics: a Keynesian view

This paper attempts to sketch a Keynesian response to the gap between the reality of international capital markets and the ‘standard paradigm’ of economic theory that underpins the policy model offered to poor countries in relation to their participation in the world economy and their national macroeconomic management. Recent work on imperfect markets, much of it from self-styled ‘New Keynesian’ point of view, implies a substantial modification of this standard paradigm to allow for non-price clearing but this does not appear to to have been integrated with new trade theories, while the implications of systemic volatility and credit rationing behaviour have not been theorized. The paper suggests that a return to Keynes's original approach to investor uncertainty and global demand might not only help to integrate international macroeconomic theory in a plausible manner but also contribute to the foumulation of more desirable policy positions.     

THE ASCENT OF THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION AS AN ACTOR IN THE MONETARY INTEGRATION PROCESS IN THE 1960s

This paper discusses macroeconomic and monetary policy making at the European Commission in the 1960s. The Commission, in its analysis, focused strongly on economic imbalances in the Community, as they could threaten the common market project. In order to strengthen the system of economic governance of the Community, the Commission advocated an improved monetary cooperation, in line with the internal logic of the integration process. This contrasted with the view of the central bankers, who took the international monetary system as the framework for their analysis. This paper shows the ascent of the Commission as an actor in the monetary area, notwithstanding the relatively limited provisions of the European Economic Community Treaty.     

A GROWTH MODEL FOR CHINA'S SPECIAL ECONOMIC ZONE

Abstract.  We employ a general macroeconomic analysis to describe the economic growth and performance of the Special Economic Zone (SEZ). It is shown that not only does foreign investment make a significant contribution to the economic growth of the Zone, but also, the rapid response of foreign investment to the output level is important for maintaining steady-state growth. The open door policy and the policy of encouraging foreign investment have thereby played an important role in the recent development of the Chinese economy.     

Framing Modern Monetary Theory

This article argues that Modern Monetary Theory (MMT) has struggled to gain traction in wider economic and political debates due to: (1) An incomplete understanding of key macroeconomic terms among economic commentators, especially journalists, and the wider community (lack of education); and (2) The deployment of key macroeconomic terms (incorrectly) in the context of pervasive cultural metaphors to support policy interventions that effectively benefit a privileged few at the expense of the majority. We provide a conceptual basis for understanding how the language we use constrains our thinking and we examine some of the key metaphors used to reinforce the flawed message of orthodox economics. We examine key ideas of modern monetary theory—an apolitical model of macroeconomic operations—and propose effective ways of expressing those key ideas in a progressive social and economic framework.     

宏观经济稳定政策的理论依据

宏观经济稳定政策虽然是现代各国政府常用的稳定经济运行的工具,但稳定政策的理论争论从来没有间断过。对不同经济学流派的政策主张及其理论依据的回顾并分析表明,凯恩斯主义的需求管理政策仍是我国前几年实施的积极财政政策的理论基础。     

What Monetary Policy after the Crisis?

The objective of this paper is to reflect on some of the implications that recent economic experience has for monetary and financial stability policies. We contend that the financial crisis and the upsurge in inflation 2007–08 have shown that the policy model based on the new consensus in macroeconomics, which largely held sway over the past decade or more, is broken. It is argued that inflation targeting cannot deliver low inflation. We argue that fine-tuning through interest rates should not be attempted, but rather a constant real interest rate target based on the output growth rate should be adopted. The key objective of monetary policy should be shifted to financial stability, the independence of central banks should be brought to an end, and their decision making should be coordinated with other macroeconomic policy initiatives.     

财政政策与货币政策的动态调控效应*——基于时变参数向量自回归模型的检验

本文廓清了财政政策与货币政策搭配动态调控宏观经济的机理，揭示了两者协调影响经济的“黑箱”机制及其在经济不同阶段的搭配方式；运用中国2004—2019年的经济季度数据，构建TVP SV VAR模型探究两类政策对宏观经济的调控效应。研究发现：财政政策与货币政策共同把控流动性“闸门”实现互动协调；财政政策搭配货币政策具有时变性，在整体上“同向发力”推动经济发展；两类政策对产出的影响并非始终如理论一致，在结构层面仍有优化靶向性操作的余地。     

新常态下我国宏观经济政策框架的重构*

我国宏观经济政策“微刺激”效果下降,而“强刺激”带来了严重后遗症,导致这种状况的关键原因是政策框架在整体上出了问题。重构我国宏观政策框架的战略定位应该包括以下内容：（1）短期应对不断加剧的宏观经济和金融风险;（2）中期应对结构调整的负面冲击;（3）长期构建高效的、可持续的和动态一致的宏观调控模式。重构政策框架的原则性要求包括：（1）宏观经济及金融的稳定性与国际收支平衡应该成为显性目标;（2）财政政策主要指向结构调整期的短期阵痛,货币政策指向宏观经济及金融稳定性;（3）宏观政策应该遵循市场化、可预期的操作模式。在具体策略上可以选择国债市场作为突破口,通过改变国债发行规模和方式,推动国债市场的大发展和大开放,以此拓展整个金融市场的深度和开放程度。     

Monetary policy, macroeconomic adjustment and currency speculation under floating exchange rates: the case of Bulgaria

This paper deals with the Bulgarian experience with exchange rate policy and the related macroeconomic adjustment in the transition period. It is argued that in the context of the Bulgarian macroeconomic environment, the exchange rate regime and the exchange rate policy (or the lack of such) did play a crucial role in determining the patterns of macroeconomic adjustment in this period. A simple general equilibrium model is suggested that provides some insights into the stylized performance of an economy under certain assumptions, similar to those characterizing the transitional state of the Bulgarian economy. Finally, some aspects of Bulgarian macroeconomic performance in recent years are analysed on the basis of the available empirical information and using the framework of the theoretical model. The paper concludes with the policy lessons of this experience.