Spring 2016 Syllabus
Economic History of the U.S.
http://users.humboldt.edu/erick/econ323/index.html

Econ 323 (3 unit)
(Section 1) MW 3:00-4:20pm, 117 Siemens Hall
(Section 2) MW 5:00pm-6:20pm, 115 Siemens Hall

Econ 323D (1 unit)
F 11-11:50am, Siemens Hall 116

Erick Eschker
E-mail: erick@humboldt.edu
Phone: (707) 826-3216
Office: Siemens Hall 206 D
Office Hours: Monday 4:30-5, Wednesday 4:30-5, Friday 12-1, and by appointment only

Required Reading: History of the American Economy, by Walton and Rockoff, 12th edition; Reserve Materials, Handouts, Course Web Page. Note: earlier editions of the text are generally fine to use, but you are respondible for knowing which page numbers cover the required content.

Econ 323D: Econ 323D can only be taken at the same time as Econ 323 and is designed to provide additional economic depth to students.  If you are an Economics or Business Administration major you must enroll for Econ 323D and take Econ 210 as a pre- or co-requisite.  Economics minors and anyone else interested in the material are also strongly encouraged to take Econ 323D.  See Professor Eschker if you have questions.  Econ 323D students will attend class for three hours each week on Monday and Wednesday and also the fourth hour on Friday.  During the fourth hour, we will analyze the course material using more rigorous economic models and additional readings will be assigned to help you to better understand the technical material.  Students enrolled in Econ 323D will take in-class quizes during the extra meeting time and will have additional homework assignments.

U.S. History Institutions Requirement:  This course fulfills The California State University's U.S. History Institution Requirement.  Some topics, such as Native Americans and the colonists, the condition of blacks after the Civil War, women in the labor force, and income inequality will be discussed separately.  Other topics, such as the nature and consequences of immigration, labor unions, regional differences, and the expansion of government are found in many chapters and will be discussed throughout the semester.

Lower Division Area D GE:  Econ 323 may be used to fulfill a lower division Area D GE course, except if another HSU or a transfer American Institutions course has already been used in lower division GE Area D. Only one Institutions course can fulfill a GE requirement.

Course Objective: After completing this course the student will be able to 1) identify significant and defining events in U.S. history from 1600 to today 2) explain the interaction of distinct U.S. regions 3) explain the relationship of the U.S. to foreign countries and its consequences 4) illustrate the role of major ethnic groups, cultures, social groups, and other minorities in shaping U.S. history 5) demonstrate how the persistence of institutions has provided a continuous American experience 6) demonstrate how economic incentives have played a role in shaping U.S. history and 7) recognize the research methods used by economic historians.

Course Grade (Econ 323 only): The grade for this course is based on five parts: Five-minute papers (25%), an essay (20%), a midterm exam (20%), a final exam (20%), and classroom participation (15%).

Course Grade (Econ 323 + Econ323D): The grade for this course is based on six parts: Five-minute papers (15%), an essay (15%), a midterm exam (15%), a final exam (15%), classroom participation (15%), and quizes (25%).

Five-minute papers:  Fifteen short papers will be collected randomly throughout the semester.  You will usually be given the last five minutes of class to write on the topic that is given.  Most essays will ask for your response to the readings, videos, or classroom discussion.  Each essay will receive either a plus (very good), a check (satisfactory), or a minus (substandard).  Most essays will receive a check.  More insightful essays will receive a plus.  Essays cannot be made up and are due when they are collected.  These essays are an opportunity to share your thoughts and give your opinions about the readings.  Therefore, it is important to finish the assigned readings before class.  These short papers provide me with daily feedback on your understanding of the materials.  I hope that these short papers will encourage your active participation in the class.

Essay:  The essay will discuss a journal article that deals with American economic history.  The ONLY approved sources for articles are the Journal of Economic History, Explorations in Economic History, The Economic History Review, and Business History Review.  These journals are very accessible to non-econ majors.  The journal article must be about U.S. economic history before 1980 but the journal article can be written any time.  In your role as the article discussant, you will 1) identify the question that the article is trying to answer, 2) explain how the author tries to answer the question, 3) explain the article's conclusion and relevance, and 4) give criticisms that you have with the paper, and offer your suggestions for making the paper better.  The essay will be 2-3 pages long, typed, and double-spaced.  Do not hand in a copy of the article with your essay, but instead provide a complete reference so that I can find it if needed.  The best papers will not simply summarize the article but rather provide an insightful evaluation of the paper. You may want to reference materials learned in class.  You will turn in your essay twice and it will be graded each time.  Your polished draft is due Wednesday, March 23 and is worth about 2/3 of the score.  I will grade and edit and return to you.  The revision is due Wednesday, April 27.  You must turn in your first draft along with the revised draft.  Do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.

I strongly suggest that you visit the HSU writing center in Library 32 (basement) before you turn in your first draft.

You can read the Grading Rubric and Good Writing Rules and the Essay Suggestions. Here are good writing examples 1, 2, and 3 (note that 'suggestions' for improving the papers where made in a fifth separate section for when these papers were written).

Midterm Exam: The Midterm Exam will be Wednesday, March 9. No alternate time will be provided.

Final Exam: The Final Exam will be on the official day listed by the Registrar:  Wednesday, May 11, 3-4:50pm (for section 1, MW 3-4:20 pm) and Monday, May 9, 3-4:30 pm (for section 2, MW5-6:20pm).  No alternate time will be provided.

Classroom Participation: You'll get the most out of the class if you actively participate in discussions. Please be courteous to others and help to encourage participation by as many students as possible.  Your grade will be based on my evaluation of your contribution to the classroom over the entire semester.  You can participate by raising issues or volunteering to answer questions in class.  Those who do not participate can expect to receive no credit.

Quizes (323D): In class quizes will be given during our Wednesday meetings or as homework.  I will count the best 8 of 9 scores.  The quizes will test your understanding of the assigned reading material.  Quizes will usually be given at the beginning of the period and cannot be made up. 
Portfolio Reminder for Economics Majors (or possible economics majors): You are REQUIRED to participate in the e-portfolio program for use in Econ 490: Capstone Experience. See Lauren Parker in the Economics office to gain access to your Google Drive folder <http://www.humboldt.edu/economics/students/resources>. You must upload your 1) your first draft of the discussant essay WITH MY EDITS IN RED, AND 2) your final draft without my edits. You will write a short reflection (4-5 sentences) that demonstrates how the assignment helped you progress toward meeting the mastery of written communication student learning outcome. What is the most important lesson for good writing that you learned? You are expected to complete this E-Portfolio task by Friday, May 13th. If you do not upload your materials, you will have an automatic grade reduction in Econ 490.
Make-up exams and special considerations: If you miss an exam you will receive no credit unless a compelling, documented reason is given. I will determine which circumstances are compelling. Remember that many difficulties can be avoided if you see me before you miss an exam.

Cheating: "Formula" sheets are not allowed in the exams.  Your essay is to be written by yourself.  Any one caught cheating will be prosecuted to the fullest extent.

Internet Access: This course will make much use of the Internet:

Our homepage is at http://users.humboldt.edu/erick/econ323/index.html. This page contains important course related information, such as links to required readings and practice exam questions. Please visit it often.

I check my e-mail quite often. An e-mail question will likely have the greatest chance for a speedy reply. Even if I cannot be found in person or by phone, I will usually be able to answer your e-mail messages.

I expect you to regularly check your email, since I may use email to alert you with special announcements.

 Many important and last minute materials may be posted electronically. You should make a point to regularly check this class’ Internet site. I assume you have a functional understanding of, and access to, e-mail and the Internet. If not, please see me or one of the many specialists on campus who can assist you.

Electronic Device Use: Using cell phones to text and using laptops and tablets to surf the Internet distracts everyone in the classroom.  If there is a disruption (such as a cell phone ringing or sending/receiving text messages) during class time, a full 5 minute paper score will be deducted from your overall course grade for each incident.  If Professor Eschker's cell phone rings during class, everyone in class at the time will receive bonus points equal to a full 5 minute paper score.  Please silence or set to vibrate cell phones and do not use electronic devices for anything but classroom business.  If you need to use a device for a legitimate purpose, see Professor Eschker before class.

Add/Drop Policy:  The last day to drop this course without a serious and compelling reason is Monday, February 15. HSU recently made it much more difficult to drop courses after this deadline.  You should check with the Regisgtrars Office for any updates to these dates.

Course Outline: The following is a guide to the topics we will cover, with corresponding chapters from the text and reserve materials.  Adjustments may be made if warranted.

Topics List

Remember that I am available to help you with the class. If you have any concerns, it is always best to see me earlier rather than later. Don’t hesitate to contact me.