Course Description
Microeconomics is the study of how resources are allocated by individual decision makers in their market pursuits. In a modern industrial economy like Canada's, it is also true that government policy influences the allocation of resources. Canadian Microeconomic Policy utilizes principles of microeconomics to examine policy issues such as: government controlled prices and quantities, marketing boards, tax policy, competition policy, regulation of industry, trade policy and environmental protection.
Means of Assessment
| Final Examination |
30% - 40% |
| Term Tests |
40% - 70% |
| Assignments |
0% - 20% |
| Participation |
0% - 10% |
| Total |
100% |
Students may conduct research as part of their coursework in this class. Instructors for the course are responsible for ensuring that student research projects comply with College policies on ethical conduct for research involving humans, which can require obtaining Informed Consent from participants and getting the approval of the Douglas College Research Ethics Board prior to conducting the research.
Learning Outcomes
At the end of the course, the student will be able to:
- apply supply and demand analysis to examine issues such as government price and quantity controls and tax policy;
- utilize different theories of market structure to analyze anti-trust policy issues;
- analyze the economics of regulation from a public interest and private interest perspective;
- evaluate the efficacy of the policy options available to government authorities to deal with the problems of externalities and public goods.
Textbook Materials
Textbooks and Materials to be Purchased by Students
The main texts are to be chosen from the following, as determined by the instructor:
Brander, James. Government Policy Toward Business, Latest Ed. Butterworths.
Carson, Robert. Economic Issues Today, Latest Ed. St. Martin's Press.
Luciani, Patrick. Economic Myths: Making Sense of Canadian Policy Issues, Latest Ed. Addison-Wesley.
Supplementary materials may be chosen, as determined by the instructor.