The goal of this course is to familiarize students with the tools of macroeconomics. In the first semester, we will take a close look at macroeconomic concepts, including gross domestic product (GDP), unemployment and inflation, as well as try to understand why some countries are so much richer than other countries from the perspectives of economics. In the second semester, we will focus on short-run fluctuations, and examine the pros and cons of various policy options that a government can use.