The Maxwell School
Syracuse University
Syracuse University
Optimal use of exhaustible and renewable resources including fuels, minerals, fisheries, forests and water; resource scarcity and economic growth; valuation of nonmarketed environmental amenities; the economics of pollution control; pollution control instruments including taxes, permits, direct regulation, and negotiation; pollution control policy in practice.
Before enrolling in this course you should have taken Economics 320K and 329 and two semesters of calculus at the level of Math 403K and 403L or above. The math requirement is particularly important: calculus will be used extensively throughout the semester.
There is no required textbook but there will be several books on reserve that you can use for supplementary reading.
Some of the exercises will involve spreadsheets or computer simulation games. You will need access to a computer with Excel (or an equivalent program) and a web browser that supports Java. You are welcome to use your own computer but if you don't have one, or don't have the right software, you can use of the Economics Department's computer lab located on the fourth floor of the Economics building (BRB). A signup sheet for computer accounts will be circulated.
Grades will be based on one midterm exam (40%, March 6), a final exam (40%, May 11) and weekly exercises throughout the semester (20%). Also, attendance is important; more on that below.
Weekly exercises will be handed out each Tuesday and collected at the beginning of class a week later. Late exercises will not be accepted (really!). Grading will be on a five point scale: 5 for excellent work, 4 for good, 3 for an honest attempt and 0 otherwise. The content of the exercises will vary between problem sets and computer exercises. You'll need to do the exercises to do well on the exams.
It's just as important for you to come to class as it is to show up for a job. Most jobs come with two weeks vacation and you're expected to be there the rest of the time. That's 2 weeks out of 52 or about 3.8 percent of the year. This course has about 30 meetings, and 3.8% of that comes to about 1 class. That means that missing two weeks of class (4 classes) is like skipping 8 weeks of work, which no employer would tolerate. You can probably guess where this is leading...
Attendance will count in this class as follows: if you miss more than 3 days of class without being excused in advance, your grade will be no higher than a B; if you miss more than 6 days, your grade will be no higher than a C; if you miss more than 9 days, no higher than a D. Plan to be in class.