This course aims to provide the methodological and theoretical tools to understand the behavior of the major macroeconomic variables, such as GDP growth, business cycles and inflation, and to explain past and current economic developments. We will focus on the stylised facts of business cycle fluctuations and economic growth, the determinants of unemployment and inflation. We will also discuss whether and to what extent policy can improve macroeconomic performance. 

Lectures and written exercises based on the problem sets which will be made available few days before the class. The solutions of the problem set will be discussed in class. Students attending the course are requested to hand in problem sets. There will be nine problem sets during the semester plus a mid term mock exam to solve at home in the week scheduled for the suspension of all teaching activities. The exercises in each problem set are based on material already taught, which the student is expected to solve with a full written solution. Problem sets will typically be posted a week before the class and must be handed in personally to the TA before the beginning of the class. If you are unable to attend a class you can submit your problem set earlier. In this case, you have to arrange with your TA when to hand it in personally (problem sets sent by email will not be considered). Each problem set will be graded out of 2 points. Points will be awarded using the following scale: (a) complete solutions: 2 points; (b) incomplete solutions: 1 point; (c) not handed in: 0 points