AP EC 202: AGRICULTURAL & APPLIED ECONOMICS
Spring 2006Section 1, 11:15-12:05 a.m. MWF, 174 P&AS Building

INSTRUCTOR: Ed Kaiser
252 Barre Hall
656-5779
E-MAIL: ekaiser@clemson.edu
OFFICE HOURS: 8:30-10:45 a.m. M,W, F
8:30 10:30 a.m. Tu and Th
  If an instructor is not in the classroom by 11:30 a.m., the students may leave.
TEXT: Drummond, H. Evan, and John W. Goodwin, Agricultural Economics, second edition. Prentice Hall. 2004.
COURSE OUTLINE:
I.   Introduction, (Chapter 1, 2, and 3)
II.  Producer Decisions and Supply (chapters 11, 12 and 13)
III. Consumer Behavior and Demand (Chapters 15 and 16)
IV. Market Structure, (Chapters 14)
V.  Agricultural Policy (Chapter 10)
VI. International Trade (Chapter 9)
VII. Margeting Agricultural Commodities (Chapter 17)
GOALS:
1. To understand the scope of agricultural economics as a social science.
2. To understand producer behavior and the determination of supply of agricultural commodities.
3. To understand consumer behavior and the determination of demand for agricultural commodities.
4. To understand the role of markets and the determination of equilibrium market price and quantity.
5. To apply economic theory to current economic problems facing U.S. and world agriculture.
CLASS ATTENDANCE:
College work proceeds at such a pace that regular attendance is necessary for each student to obtain maximum benefit from instruction. Regular and punctual attendance at all class sessions is a student obligation, and each student is responsible for all wori, including test and written work, in all class sessions. No right or privilege exists that permits a student to be absent from any given number of class sessions. .All absences are matters to be resolved between the instructor and the student. In the event that a student finds it necessary to be absent from class, it is the student's responsibility to make up resulting deficiencies.
GRADE:

The course grade will be based on five components: three exams during the semester, a cumulative Final Exam, and assignments.
METHOD 1: Each of these components will count 20% of the course grade.
METHOD II: The lowest score and the highest score from the five scores will be dropped. The course score will be the average of the middle three scores.

The grading scale for course grades will be >90%: A, 80% to 90%: B, 70% to 80%: C, 60% to 70%: D, and <60%: F. This scale may be curved down at the end of the semester, if needed.
CLEMSON UNIVERSITY'S STATEMENT ON ACADEMIC INTEGRITY:

"As members of the Clemson University community, we have inheirited Thomas Green Clemson's vision of this institution as a 'high seminary of learning.' Fundamental to this vision is a mutual commitment to truthfulness, honor, and responsibility, without which we cannot earn the trust and respect of others. Furthermore, we recognize that academic dishonesty detracts from the value of a Clemson degree. Therefore, we shall not tlerate lying, cheating, or stealing in any form."

"When in the opinion of a faculty member, there is evidence that a student has committed an act of academic dishonesty, the faculty member shall make a formal written charge of academic dishonesty, including a description of the misconduct, to the Associate Dean of Undergraduate Services. At the same time, the faculty member may, but is not required to , inform each involved student privately of the nature of the alledged charge."

ASSIGNMENTS:
There will be at least 13 assignments during the semester. The highest ten scores will be used to calculate the assignment score. Some assignments will be homework done outside of class and some assignments will be short in-class assignments. The types of questions and problems on the assignments will be the same types that you will be expected to answer on the exams. Assignments will not be accepted after the due date.
TENTATIVE Lecture Topic Schedule:
Date
Topic
Jan 11
W
 Class Roll, Discuss course syllabus, etc.
13
F
 Introduction
16
M
 Martin Luther King, Jr., Holiday
18
W
 Producer decisions and supply
20
F
 Producer decisions and supply
23
M
 Producer decisions and supply
25
W
 Producer decisions and supply
27
F
 Producer decisions and supply
30
M
 Producer decisions and supply
Feb.1
W
 Producer decisions and supply

3
F 
 Producer decisions and supply

6
M
 Producer decisions and supply
8
W
 Producer decisions and supply
10
F
 EXAM # 1
13
M
 Consumer Decisions and Demand
15
W
 Consumer Decisions and Demand
17
F
 Consumer Decisions and Demand
20
M
 Consumer Decisions and Demand
22
W
 Consumer Decisions and Demand
24
F
 Consumer Decisions and Demand
27
M
 Consumer Decisions and Demand
Mar 1
W
 Consumer Decisions and Demand
3
F
 EXAM #2
6
M
 Market Structure
8
W
 Market Structure
10
F
 Market Structure
13
M
 Market structure
15
W
 Market structure
17
F
 Market structure
20
M
 SPRING BREAK
22
W
 SPRING BREAK
24
F
 SPRING BREAK
27
M
 Agricultural Policy
29
W
 Agricultural policy
31
F
 Agricultural policy
Apr 3
M
 Agricultural policy
5
W
 Agricultural policy
7
F
 EXAM #3
10
M
 International Trade
12
W
 International Trade
14
F
 International Trade
17
M
 International Trade
19
W
 Marketing Agricultural Commodities
21
F
 Marketing Agricultural Commodities
24
M
 Marketing Agricultural Commodities
26
W
 Marketing Agricultural Commodities
28
F
 Grades Before Final Exam, Discuss Final Exam
May 3
W
 FINAL EXAMINATION, 8:00-11:00 a.m.

Note: This syllabus is preliminary and is subject to change. The syllabus distributed in class is the official version.


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Copyright 2006 by Eddie H. Kaiser, Department of Applied Economics & Statistics, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634-0313

updated 2/8/06