This class is an introduction to macroeconomics, dealing with topics such as Gross Domestic Product, economic growth and recessions, aggregate demand and supply, inflation, the money market, and the currency exchange market. More than anything, this is a class that will help you develop the skills necessary to understand and think critically about the economic world around you, and the policies that shape that world. Throughout the semester we will use real-world economic data, an account of the history of U.S. economic policy, and the basic models of macroeconomics to analyze news stories, opinions, and recent policy developments.