Economics for the Social Sciences

Recommended Prerequisites

n.a.

Teaching Methods

Lectures and practical classes;

• Lectures allow the exposition of concepts and theories. Student participation will be encouraged in order to facilitate the understanding of the concepts and economic relations;
• The practical classes will be devoted to solving problems and discussing case studies that allow practical applications of the acquired knowledge.

Learning Outcomes

A. Knowledge and understanding
- Introduction to the main concepts of economic theory
- Knowledge about the relations between Economics and other Social Sciences
B. Application
- Ability to use theoretical knowledge in the analysis of economic problems, bibliographic sources whithin the area, and integration of different perspectives to address real world problems
C. Judgement
- Ability of critical analysis and argumentation
D. Communication
- Ability to engage in team work, envisaging the prossecution of common goals
- Ability to communicate ideas (oral and writing)
E. Learning competences
- Ability to develop individual and collective research
- Ability and motivation to pursue studies at a higher and more specialized level
- Ability and motivation for life-long learning

 

Work Placement(s)

No

Syllabus

1. Basic Concepts
1.1. Economics as a Social Science
1.2. Scarcity and Choice: The Production Possibilities Frontier
1.3. Solutions to the Economic Problem. Market, State, and Community
2. Organization and Functioning of Markets
2.1. Supply and Demand.
2.2. Producers, Production, and Costs.
2.3. Market Structures.
3. Factors of Production
3.1. Natural Resources and the Environment
3.2. Capital, Profits, and Interest
3.3. Labor, Employment, and Unemployment.
4. Elementary Concepts of Macroeconomics
4.1. Business Cycles, Growth and Development
4.2. The Economic Circuit
4.3. Basic Aggregates of National Accounting
4.4. Money
5. The State in the Economy
5.1. Economic Functions of the State
5.2. Public Finance and Fiscal Policy
5.3. Monetary Policy and Price Stability
6. Trade, Investment, and International Economic Institutions.

Assessment Methods

Assessment
Resolution Problems: 20.0%
Frequency: 80.0%

Bibliography

The CORE Team, 2017. The Economy: Economics for a Changing World. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Chang, H.-J., 2022. Economia: Guia do Utilizador. 2ª ed. Lisboa: Clube do Autor.
Samuelson, P. & Nordhaus, D., 2011. Economia . 19ª ed. Lisboa: McGraw-Hill.
Louçã, F. & Mortágua, M., 2021. Manual de Economia Política . Lisboa: Bertrand.
Mankiw, N. Gregory, 2017.Principles of economics. 8th ed. [South Melbourne]: South-Western Cengage Learning.