This course covers the fundamentals of microeconomics and macroeconomics analysis. The course begins with an introduction to supply and demand and the basic forces that determine an equilibrium in a market economy. Next, it introduces a framework for learning about consumer behavior and analyzing consumer decisions. We then turn our attention to firms and their decisions about optimal production, and the impact of different market structures on firms' behavior, competition and monopoly, and welfare economics. The final section of the course provides an introduction to some of macroeconomic issues, such as the determination of output, employment, unemployment, interest rates, and inflation. Monetary and fiscal policies are discussed.

The course is organized in two parts:
• Part 1: the first part of the course is dedicated to understanding consumer and firms behavior, analyzing different types of market structures (monopoly, oligopoly and a competitive market), studying the basic forces that determine an equilibrium in a market economy, i.e., supply and demand, and using supply and demand diagrams to analyze the impact of overall changes in supply and demand on price and quantity.
• Part 2: in the second part of the course we shall study the determination of output, employment, unemployment, interest rates, and inflation. We shall analyze the interactions between financial markets and the "real" economy in order to understand important policy debates about monetary and fiscal policies.

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Knowledge and understanding: After completing this course, students will acquire knowledge and skills enabling them to understand basic economic concept as, for example, demand and supply, national accounts, employment theory, and fiscal and monetary policy.

Applying knowledge and understanding: By the end of the course students will be able to apply the concepts and knowledge gained to analyze specific political economy issues and problems relevant to the operation of the real economy.

Making judgments: Students will develop the ability to assess economic situations, to relate them to concrete problems and to suggest policy recommendations.

Communication skills: Through discussions in class, students will develop the ability to discuss with sound terminology and arguments aspects of the market economy and to debate economic policy problems using appropriate analytical tools and evidence.

Learning skills: At the end of the course, students are expected to develop a range of skills enabling them to understand economic concepts and use those concepts to analyze specific questions. They should be more autonomous and able to identify and evaluate economic aspects of some social problems.

The teaching material prepared by the lecturer in addition to recommended textbooks (such as for instance slides, lecture notes, exercises, bibliography) and communications from the lecturer specific to the course can be found inside the Moodle platform › blended.uniurb.it

The teaching material prepared by the lecturer (such as for instance slides, lecture notes, exercises) and specific communications from the lecturer can be found, together with other supporting activities, inside the Moodle platform › blended.uniurb.it

Teaching

Lectures, seminars, flipped and debate classrooms.

Innovative teaching methods

Innovative teaching strategies will be applied to the classroom, such as flipped and debate methods, the use of digital technologies and students active participation, in order to promote learning more effectively and successfully.

Course books

P.A. Samuelson, W.D. Nordhaus, C.A. Bollino, ECONOMIA, McGraw-Hill, 22^ Edizione, Capitoli 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 18, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 31.

Assessment

The knowledge, understanding and ability to communicate are assessed with a written exam, based on four open questions. After having passed the written exam students can attempt an oral examination.The evaluation criteria and the scale of marks are as follows:

• less than 18/30: competence level insufficient. The student doesn’t reach the learning results described in “knowledge and understanding”.
• 18-20: competence level sufficient. In particular, the student attains the learning results described in “knowledge and understanding”.
• 21-23: competence level satisfactory. In particular, the student attains the learning results described in “knowledge and understanding” and in “applied knowledge and understanding”.
• 24-26: competence level good. In particular, the student attains the learning results described in “knowledge and understanding”, “applied knowledge and understanding” and “making judgments”.
• 27-29: competence level very good. In particular, the student attains the learning results described in “knowledge and understanding”, “applied knowledge and understanding”, “making judgments” and “communication skills”.
• 30-30 with honours: competence level excellent. The student fully attains the learning results described in “knowledge and understanding”, “applied knowledge and understanding”, “making judgments” and “learning skills”.

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.

Course books

P.A. Samuelson, W.D. Nordhaus, C.A. Bollino, ECONOMIA, McGraw-Hill, 22^ Edizione, Capitoli 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 18, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 31.

Assessment

The knowledge, understanding and ability to communicate are assessed with a written exam, based on four open questions. After having passed the written exam students can attempt an oral examination.The evaluation criteria and the scale of marks are as follows:

• less than 18/30: competence level insufficient. The student doesn’t reach the learning results described in “knowledge and understanding”.
• 18-20: competence level sufficient. In particular, the student attains the learning results described in “knowledge and understanding”.
• 21-23: competence level satisfactory. In particular, the student attains the learning results described in “knowledge and understanding” and in “applied knowledge and understanding”.
• 24-26: competence level good. In particular, the student attains the learning results described in “knowledge and understanding”, “applied knowledge and understanding” and “making judgments”.
• 27-29: competence level very good. In particular, the student attains the learning results described in “knowledge and understanding”, “applied knowledge and understanding”, “making judgments” and “communication skills”.
• 30-30 with honours: competence level excellent. The student fully attains the learning results described in “knowledge and understanding”, “applied knowledge and understanding”, “making judgments” and “learning skills”.

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.

In the Department is active Olympus, the Observatory for permanent monitoring of legislation and case law on health and safety in the workplace work. The Observatory carries out various activities including, in particular: - the management of a website with legislative databases, case law databases and databases of contracts, all concerning the safety at work; - depth articles, specialized reviews and thematic focus; - the management of an online scientific journal - "The Working Papers of Olympus", now “Law of occupational Safety and Health" (DSL) - in the field of security rights in the workplace, with ISSN, that employs a wide international scientific committee and refereeing procedures for the identification of essays to be published; - the organization of congresses and seminars including international ones. This observatory, whose website is freely accessible to all in a logic of public service, allows students of the CdS to find useful materials and documentation for their course of study and useful to draft their dissertation. It offers, also, through the mentioned congresses and seminars, the opportunity to meet the leading experts in the field and to analyse the most sensitive issues relating to it. http://olympus.uniurb.it/ 

The student can take the final exam in English.
References:
Economics, P.A. Samuelson, W.D. Nordhaus, McGraw-Hill Education.