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ECO-20040 - Module Specification
Keele Business School
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

For academic year: 2024/25 Last Updated: 30 April 2024

ECO-20040 - Contemporary Issues in Economics
Coordinator: Christopher Tsoukis Tel: +44 1782 7 33101
Lecture Time: See Timetable...
Level: Level 5
Credits: 15
Study Hours: 150
School Office: 01782 733094

Programme/Approved Electives for 2024/25

None

Available as a Free Standing Elective

No

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites

EITHER ECO-10028 Introductory Microeconomics OR ECO-10029 Introductory Macroeconomics

Barred Combinations

None

Description for 2024/25

The purpose of this module is to acquaint students with contemporary economic policy problems faced by governments, such as the size of state/government, the provision of health and education, poverty and inequality, social insurance and pensions. In all of these,relevant theories, arguments and evidence will be explored in order to ascertain the appropriate economic boundaries between state and private sectors and evaluate alternative policy options and recent institutional developments. The module also introduces analysis of strategic behaviour with particular focus on signalling, voting and auctions.

Aims
To introduce students to the study of a variety of contemporary issues and debates in economic policy

Intended Learning Outcomes

analyse and evaluate contemporary public policy issues, broadly understood, from an economic perspective: 1,2
critically assess the consequences of different economic policy decisions: 1,2
analyse using formal economic models a number of different contemporary issues in economic policy: 1,2

Study hours

20 hours lectures,
4 hours seminars,
36 hours assessment preparation
88 hours individual study
2 hours exam

School Rules

EITHER ECO-10028 Introductory Microeconomics OR ECO-10029 Introductory Macroeconomics

Description of Module Assessment

1: Open Book Examination weighted 60%
Take-away Exam
Assessment 1 is a take-away exam which will be available on KLE for 24-hours. Although students have been given significant time to complete this exam script, we expect students to spend no more than 2 hours to complete and submit their answers via Turnitin (with a maximum of 1200 words).

2: Essay weighted 40%
800 word individual essay
An essay on one of the themes covered in the module

Please note that for the 2022/23 Academic Year programmes may be adapted to operate in accordance with a flexible, digital approach. This means that there may be some changes made to how modules are delivered and assessed. The latest information will be provided to you by your School in module handbooks. We endeavour to give you as much notice as possible of any changes and details about the circumstance in which changes are made to programmes can be found in the Student Agreement, available at: https://www.keele.ac.uk/student-terms-and-conditions/

Last Updated: 30 April 2024