Prerequisites: U.S. Government and Politics is recommended, but not required
Length: One semester

U.S. and Global Economics is a wide-ranging course that provides an introduction to key economic principles. Students gain an understanding of choices they must make as producers, consumers, investors, and taxpayers. They have ample opportunity to develop their points of view and apply what they learn to the promotion of civic action. Topics include an examination of markets from both historical and current perspectives; the basics of supply and demand; the theories of early economic philosophers such as Adam Smith and David Ricardo; theories of value; the concept of money and how it evolved; the role of banks, investment houses, and the Federal Reserve; Keynesian economics; the productivity, wages, investment, and growth involved in capitalism; unemployment, inflations, and the national debt; and a survey of markets in areas such as China, Europe, and the Middle East.
U.S. and Global Economics is designed to fall in the fourth year of social studies instruction. Students perfect their analytic writing through a series of analytic assignments and written lesson tests. They also apply basic mathematics to economic concepts. Students read extensive selections from crucial primary documents and apply those readings to the course content.
The content is based on standards from the National Council for History Education (1997), the National Center for History in the Schools (1996), and the National Council for Social Studies (1994) and is aligned to state standards.