ECON 100A

MICROECONOMIC ANALYSIS
SYLLABUS

PROFESSOR: Calanit Kamala LECTURES: Mon/Wed 4:00-5:30, 155 Dwinelle
OFFICE: 677 Evans OFFICE HOURS: Wednesdays 11-1
E-MAIL: calanit@berkeley.edu CLASS WEB-SITE: http://bspace.berkeley.edu

COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course will teach you the core microeconomic models of consumers, firms, and markets, and how to
use those models to analyze real-world economic situations. The emphasis is on analysis: how do we take a
set of simplistic assumptions about human behavior, transform them into a simple mathematical model, and
then use the model to analyze the economic consequences of consumer or firm choices and/or government
policies. In addition to learning how to do analysis, you will learn some of the basic economic insights that
will be useful to understand relevant economic issues.
As part of Berkeley's Undergraduate Student Learning Initiative (USLI), the Economics Department has developed
learning goals for the Economics major. See http://emlab.berkeley.edu/econ/ugrad/ugrad_goals.shtml. The specific
learning goals which this course aims to achieve are as follows. CT1: Understand everyday economics problems CT2:
Use economic theory to understand and evaluate policy proposals CT3: Compare arguments CT4: Role of assumptions
PS1: Solve problems with clear solution CS1: Communicate effectively about economic issues LL3: Understand
economic news.
ENROLLEMT:
Please direct ALL enrollment questions to the head GSI, Alisa Tazhitdinova: headgsi@econ.berkeley.edu.
(Including instructor approval requests.) Her office is 508-2 Evans.
PREREQUISITES:
The prerequisites are: ECON 1, 2 or C3, or ENVECON 1; MATH 1A or 16A; MATH 1B or 16B; or equivalent.
Calculus will be used through-out the semester, especially derivation. First week sections will provide an
overview of required math.
REQUIRED MATERIAL:
Textbook: Jeff Perloffs, Microeconomics, Theory and Applications with Calculus 2
nd
edition. MyEconLab is
required for the course and can be purchased directly from Pearson Publishers for $55. You can also
purchase an electronic version of the book for $100. If you purchase a new book, make sure that you get the
a code for MyEconLab. To sign up for the class web-site use Course ID.
iClicker: I will use iClickers to administer quizzes and ask questions during lecture. iClicker1 is required and
can be purchased on-line or at the book stores. You must register your iClicker at
www.iclicker.com/registration/.

LECTURES:
Attendance in lecture is required and skipping class will have one result: lower grade. Lecture slides are
going to be posted only a week before the exam, but handouts will be provided.
If you are use your laptop for anything else but taking notes or viewing slides, you will be asked to leave
class.





GSIs:
Name: e-mail: Office Hours
Chaya Nayak cjnayak@berkeley.edu Tu & Th, 9-10 @ 536 Evans
Jalil Kazemitabar jalilkazemitabar@berkeley.edu
Ferenc Szucs ferenc.szucs0@gmail.com Mon 10-11 @ 542 Evans;
Wed 10-11 @ 536 Evans
Jasmine Eucogco jieucogco@gmail.com Th, 8:30-9:30 @ VLSB Courtyard
Weijia Li weijiali@econ.berkeley.edu TBD
Frederick Ghansah fghansah@gmail.com Mondays 11-1 @ 536 Evans
Leslie Shen lsshen@econ.berkeley.edu Thursdays 5-7 @ 640 Evans
Peri Weisberg peri@berkeley.edu Wednesdays 1-3 @ 542 Evans

E-MAIL POLICY:
I always prefer to talk to you in person, so please approach me before or after class or come to office hours.
Any e-mails requesting clarifications of the material should first be directed at your GSI. If you still need to e-
mail me, I will get back to you within 48 hours.
iClicker and DSP issues are addressed by

GRADING POLICIES AND SCHEDULE:

Assignment Total assigned Percent value Due Dates Comments
Problem sets 5; lowest score
dropped
3%*4 = 12% 9/23, 10/02,10/28,
11/06, 12/04
NO LATE PS!!!
Quizzes 10;2 dropped 1%*8 = 8% 1
st
on Sep 11
th
i-clicker required
Midterms 2 2*20% = 40% 10/07
11/13
NO MAKE-UP
EXAMS!!!
Cumulative Final 1 40% Th, December 19
th

8-11
Excused no show
= Incomplete

Re-grading: all regarding requests must be handed to me (unless a summation error) within a week of
received work and with a write-up detailing your request. I reserve the right to re-grade all of your work if a
re-grade is submitted.

ACADEMIC HONESTY:
This class will be conducted in strict observance of the Universitys Academic Honesty Code without
compromise or exception (http://uga.berkeley.edu/sas/rtf/guide_student.rtf). The use of a calculator, or
any outside materials during exams is strictly prohibited. Cheating in an exam will result in a failing grade
and a report to the Center for Student Conduct.

SUPPORT:
Feel free to approach me about anything that is affecting your learning, your academic success, or your
happiness. If you need other support, here are some useful links to on-campus resources:
Econ Department tutoring www.econ.berkeley.edu/econ/ugrad/eac/eac.shtml
Student learning center: slc.berkeley.edu/general/index.htm
Disabled Students Program: dsp.berkeley.edu
Psychological counseling: www.uhs.berkeley.edu/students/counseling

Course Outline:

Week 1
9/4

Introduction

Chapter 1
Week 2
9/9
9/11

Preferences & Utility
Budget Constraint and Constrained Maximization
Quiz 1

Chapter 3.1, 3.2
Chapter 3.3, 3.4
Week 3
9/16
9/18

Utility Maximization;PS1 posted
Income & Substitution Effects

Chapter 4.1 - 4.3
Chapter
Week 4
9/23
9/ 25

Demand derivation, elasticity; PS1 Due
Consumer surplus, Marshalian & Hicksian demand;
PS2 posted

Chapter 2.1, 2.5
Chapter 5.1-5.3
Week 5
9/30
10/2

Class cancelled due to outage
Midterm Review PS2 due


Week 6 NO SECTIONS
10/7
10/ 9

Midterm I
Choice under uncertainty


Chapter 16.1-16.3
Week 7
10/14
10/16

SR Production
SR Costs

Chapter 6.1-6.3
Chapter 7.1-7.2
Week 8
10/21
10/23

LR Production & costs; PS 3 posted
Profit maximization and Supply curve

Chapter 6.4-6.5; 7.3, 7.4
Chapter 8 - all
Week 9
10/28
10/30

Welfare Analysis; PS3 due
Welfare Analysis; PS4 posted

Chapter 8 & 9
Chapter 9
Week 10
11/4
11/6

Market power
Midterm Review; PS 4 due

Chapter 11
Week 11
11/11
11/13

No class
Midterm II



Week 12 NO SECTIONS
11/18
11/20

Game Theory
Market power: oligopoly & cartel

Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Week 13
11/25
11/27

Externalities
No class; PS 5 posted

Chapter 17

Week 14
12/2
12/4

Externalities
Public goods & Asymmetric Information; PS 5 due

Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Dec 9-13 Reading Week
December 19
th
8-11 Final