In this course, students will explore their choices as producers, consumers, investors, and taxpayers. Students apply what they learn to real-world simulation problems. In addition, they will learn financial literacy skills emphasizing investments, markets, and taxation. Students will apply what they learn to real-world simulation problems. Topics of study include markets from historical and contemporary perspectives; supply and demand; budgeting; understanding creditworthiness and credit reports; saving options; debt reduction; theories of early economic philosophers such as Adam Smith and David Ricardo; theories of value; money (what it is, how it evolved, and the role of banks, investment houses, and the Federal Reserve); Keynesian economics; how capitalism functions, focusing on productivity, wages, investment, and growth; issues of capitalism, such as unemployment, inflation, and the national debt; profiles of individuals who are making their mark in business and economics; and a survey of markets in such areas as China, Europe, and the Middle East.
