PD:Macroeconomia II

Teaching plan for the course unit

Català

English

General information

Course unit name: Macroeconomics II

Course unit code: 366725

Academic year: 2025-2026

Coordinator: Josep Gonzalez Calvet

Department: Department of Economics

Credits: 6

Single program: N

Estimated learning time

Total number of hours 150

Face-to-face and/or online activities

	- Lecture with practical component	Face-to-face		45
	- Problem-solving class	Face-to-face		15

Supervised project

Independent learning

Recommendations

Students are strongly advised to have successfully completed the following courses: Introduction to Economics, Macroeconomics I, and Microeconomics I, prior to enrolling in this course.

Requisites

366724 - Macroeconomics I (Recommended)

366705 - Microeconomics I (Recommended)

366704 - Introduction to Econ (Recommended)

Competences / Learning outcomes to be gained during study

-	Capacity to take decisions from an economic perspective. (This competence involves the following: Capacity to identify the essential elements of a decision-making problem: agents, available actions, information available to the agents, as well as the results and consequences of the different potential actions. Capacity to identify areas of uncertainty, make hypotheses and deduce results. Capacity to think strategically and accept hypotheses about the behaviour of others, analyse balances and be familiar with available research techniques and the hypotheses on which these balances are based. Capacity to make effective economic and business decisions: knowledge of the basic concepts of economics and business used to analyse decisions; use of suitable quantitative and qualitative tools; identification, definition and resolution of problems of varying degrees of complexity.)
-	Capacity to manage and allocate resources in the private and public sectors. (This competence involves the following: Understanding and application of the theoretical principles of economics. Efficiency in processes that involve allocating resources, goods and services in both public and private organizations. Understanding of the different typologies of resources and possible approaches to efficient resource management and allocation.)
-	Ability to produce critical analyses of economic theories and models. (This competence involves the following: Capacity to critically analyse and assess the economic behaviour of individuals and the decisions they make. Capacity to analyse the aggregate behaviour of an economy and its implications. Capacity to empirically contrast the adaptability of theoretical models to specific economic areas.)
-	Knowledge and understanding of the nature, sources and uses of economic information and of the appropriate software for processing and analysing economic data. (This competence involves the following: Specific knowledge of and the ability to select and apply appropriate quantitative and qualitative methods to organize and analyse socioeconomic databases. Capacity to apply different methods and econometric models to databases and to conceptualize and link these databases.)

Learning objectives

Referring to knowledge

Understand the basic functions of an aggregate economy.
Understand how the real and financial sectors interact within a basic aggregate economy model, and how price adjustments occur.
Analyse the interrelations between economic activity, employment and inflation.
Understand the main theoretical models of the labour market.
Interpret the main models of an open economy with price adjustments.
Assess the limitations of demand management policies.
Understand the principal theories of aggregate consumption behaviour.
Understand the principal theories of aggregate investment.

Referring to abilities, skills

Locate and retrieve economic data from formal and reliable sources. Capacity to search, use and incorporate empirical and analytical information.
Analyse and interpret economic data effectively.
Evaluate the effects of demand- and supply-side policies on the economy within the 3-equation model, both analytically and graphically, using comparative static techniques.
Examine how behavioural assumptions and expectations affect equilibrium and policy impacts within the 3-equation model, analytically and graphically, using comparative static techniques.
Analyse the effects of demand, supply, exchange rate and interest rate policies in an open economy, analytically and graphically, using comparative static techniques.
Calculate the multipliers of various policy instruments under different behavioural assumptions.
Link microeconomic behaviour of consumers and investors (microfoundations) to aggregate outcomes and their implications for the overall economy.
Analyse economic problems and interpret the national and international economic environment by appropriately applying economic models and assumptions.
Communicate economic reasoning clearly and accurately, both orally and in writing, using the specialised language of the discipline.
Develop the capacity for analysis, comprehension, synthesis and practical application of knowledge, exercising sound judgement. Develop the ability to assess situations, make informed decisions and adapt effectively to new circumstances.

Referring to attitudes, values and norms

Foster a critical attitude towards the material covered in class. Students are expected to engage actively through questions and informed opinions regarding the topics covered, the validity of assumptions, the applicability of models, and their theoretical variations. To foster participation, lecturers facilitate discussions that encourage critical reflection on different theoretical approaches and their contrasting conclusions.
Develop teamwork skills and collaborate effectively with peers.
Adopt a scientifically rigorous approach to economic analysis and avoid the rhetorical or superficial use of technical jargon.

Teaching blocks

1. The basic model of the real and financial sectors in an open economy: exchange rates and policy options

1.1. Open economy with fixed prices

1.2. Open economy in the short- and long-term: price changes and adjustments in an open economy

2. The basic model of the real and financial sector with price changes (3-equation model)

2.1. From the labour market to the dynamic aggregate supply (with expectations)

2.2. Implications and outcomes of the 3-equation model

3. Microfoundations of aggregate behavioural functions

3.1. Microfoundations of the consumption function

3.2. Microfoundations of the investment function

3.3. Microfoundations of the labour supply function

4. Extensions

4.1. Public deficit, public debt and Ricardian equivalence

4.2. Selected issues and conclusions in economic policy

4.3. Introduction to economic dynamics

Teaching methods and general organization

The course is organised around three types of activity, following the type-2 teaching model employed by the Faculty of Economics and Business.

First, students attend three mains types of in-person sessions:

a) Theoretical lectures, in which the lecturer presents the main concepts of each topic and introduces the theoretical tools required for their analysis. These sessions typically last between two and three hours per week.

b) Practical sessions, which involve a range of activities depending on the characteristics of each group. These may include continuous assessment tasks, the resolution of numerical exercises and/or questionnaires previously given to students and which have to be submitted via the Virtual Campus; and the discussion of readings or case studies related to the topics covered in class. The specific activities are defined as the course progresses.

c) Small-group practical sessions, used to address various activities. These may include continuous assessment tasks, problem-solving, presentations, group tutorials, and discussion of assigned readings related to the syllabus. These sessions cover a total of 5 hours per semester for each subgroup. A detailed schedule of these sessions is provided in the course programme.

Secondly, students undertake supervised independent study in their own time, which includes the reading of recommended bibliography and the completion of exercises or assignments proposed by the lecturer during the course.

These include reviewing class notes, consolidating knowledge, reading complementary texts, and preparing for the final examination and continuous assessment tests.

The student’s workload for this course is distributed evenly across these three types of activities, corresponding to an average of three to four hours per week for each.

The GIE group follows its own specific methodology. Students attend only one session per week of learning on campus. As this group is made up of students who have already taken the course, teaching makes more extensive use of the Virtual Campus and places a greater emphasis on guided independent work.

Official assessment of learning outcomes

The final grade for students opting for continuous assessment is based on the following activities: a) continuous assessment exercises (CAEs); b) continuous assessment tests (CATs) and c) a final examination.

a) Continuous assessment exercises: Students complete and submit a series of compulsory exercises via the Virtual Campus for each topic throughout the semester. The CAEs, together with class participation, account for 10% of the final grade; at least one CAE must be submitted, as specified in the course programme.

b) Continuous assessment tests (CAT): During the course, students undertake two or three compulsory written tests, which may be multiple-choice, theoretical, or problem-based. Each of these tests contributes between 10 and 20% to the final grade. Test dates are normally announced one week in advance, though in some cases tests may be unannounced. Overall, the CATs are worth between 30 and 40% of the final grade.

c) Final exam: The final examination accounts for 50–60% of the final grade and may include multiple-choice questions, theoretical questions, numerical problems, and graphical analysis.

A minimum mark in the final examination may be required for the results of the other continuous assessment activities (CAEs) to be considered, and similarly, a minimum score on the multiple-choice questions may be required for the remainder of the questions to count towards the final grade.

Students who do not pass the course may take a repeat assessment exam on the date set by the Academic Council. The repeat assessment consists of a single examination with the same format as the standard single assessment. Note, the marks obtained on the continuous mode of assessment cannot be carried forward.

Students in the GIE group (and those in exceptional cases) follow a special assessment procedure. Full details are provided in the course programme.

Examination-based assessment

Students who wish to opt for the single mode of assessment must submit a written request to the teaching staff by the deadline posted on the Virtual Campus at the start of the course. Students who fail to complete the first CAT are also automatically transferred to the single mode of assessment.

The final examination accounts for 100% of the final grade and may include multiple-choice questions, theoretical questions, numerical problems, and graphical analysis.

A minimum mark on the multiple-choice test may be required for the remainder of the questions to be considered.

Students who fail the single mode of assessment are entitled to sit a repeat assessment examination on the date determined by the Academic Board, adhering to the same format as the single assessment exam.

Reading and study resources

Check availability in Cercabib

Book

BLANCHARD, Olivier (2017) : Macroeconomía, Pearson Educación 7ªed

Students should consult the 7th edition or any subsequent edition (but note these later editions are not available in translation). Earlier editions do NOT conform to the teaching plan.

Catàleg UB

BAJO RUBIO, Óscar.; DÍAZ ROLDÁN, Carmen.( 2011) : Teoría y política macroeconómica. Publicació/Producció Barcelona : Bosch

Catàleg UB

DORNBUSCH, Rudiger.; FISHER, Stanley.; STARTZ Richard. ( 2015) : Macroeconomía: duodécima edición.12ª ed Madrid : McGraw-Hill/Interamericana

The 12th edition is published in Spanish.

Catàleg UB

MANKIW,N. Gregory.: (2020) : Macroeconomía. 10ª ed. Antoni Bosch

Versió en línia (10a ed., 2020)

Web page

Pàgines web

Bases de dades de l’INE, Banco de España, Eurostat, BCE, OECD, FMI. Blogs d’economistes, etc. S’indicaran també articles de premsa especialitzada o articles acadèmics d’actualitat.