Understanding Economics and Politics

SOSC A112

Course Guide

SOSC A112

Course Guide

Understanding Economics and Politics

Course Start Date

N/A

Course Level

N/A

Length in Terms

N/A

Credits

N/A

Language

N/A

Fees ($) (including lab fees)

N/A

Future Terms

Quota and Schedule

Course Start Date	Course Level	Length in Terms	Credits	Language	Fees ($) (including lab fees)	Future Terms
N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A

Quota and Schedule

Course Coordinator:

Dr Stephan Ortmann, MA, PhD (University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany)

Course Developers:

Dr. Chan Kar Lun
Mr Vincent Fei Mo

Excluded combinations and courses not allowed to be taken again

Excluded combinations:

SOSC A101; SOSC A112C

Aims

SOSC A112 Understanding Economics and Politics is a ten-credit distance-learning undergraduate course of foundational level. This course intends to introduce the basic concepts and theories of economics and politics, and it assumes no specific prior knowledge in economics and politics.

The section of economics covers basic principles in economics, the key concepts and applications of demand-supply analysis, the market equilibrium under various market structures, the definition of various macroeconomic indicators and the application of the AD-AS model. The section of politics covers the methods of study, basic concepts of political science, various political regime types and country examples, various means of politics, and the key concepts and practices in international relations.

Contents

Introducing economics
Demand-supply analysis
Firm behaviour and the organization of industry
Introduction to macroeconomics
Economic fluctuations and growth
The study of political science and basic concepts
What are states and regime types?
Political socialization and participation
Politics by other means: Revolutions and wars
Politics beyond boundaries

Learning support

Ten tutorials and three day schools

Assessment

Five assignments (50%) — students will be graded on the best four of the five assignments (i.e. 4 × 12.5% = 50%)
Final examination (50%)

Online requirement

Students are required to submit assignments via the Online Learning Environment (OLE).

Set book(s)

Mankiw, N G (2021) Essentials of Economics, 9th edn, Singapore: Cengage.
Magstadt, T (2021) Understanding Politics: Ideas, Institutions, and Issues, 13th edn, Boston: Cengage.