Profile
External Links
Daniel S. Hamermesh
Professor — Ph.D., Yale University
Contact
- E-mail: hamermes@eco.utexas.edu
- Phone: 475-8526
- Office: BRB 2.162
- Office Hours: M 9:45a - 11:45a; W 1:30p - 3:30p; or by appt.
- Campus Mail Code: C3100
Biography
ECO 304K • Introduction To Microeconomics
34415 •
Fall 2013
Meets
TTH 1100am-1230pm BUR 106
show description
ANALYSIS OF THE ECONOMIC BEHAVIOR OF INDIVIDUAL CONSUMERS, FIRMS, AND WORKERS; SPECIAL ATTENTION TO THE ROLE OF MARKETS.
DESIGNED TO ACCOMMODATE 100 OR MORE STUDENTS.
This course provides an introduction to the theory of how consumers and business firms behave in the market economy. The topics include demand and supply in a competitive market, optimal consumption choice by the individual household given its budget constraint, the producer's costs and output decisions, the demand for labor and other inputs, and economic outcomes under product demand structures ranging from perfect competition to pure monopoly. For specific instructor syllabi and requirements, contact individual instructor.
ECO 304K • Intro To Microeconomics-Honors
34100 •
Fall 2012
Meets
TTH 1100am-1230pm BUR 106
show description
ANALYSIS OF THE ECONOMIC BEHAVIOR OF INDIVIDUAL CONSUMERS, FIRMS, AND WORKERS; SPECIAL ATTENTION TO THE ROLE OF MARKETS.
DESIGNED TO ACCOMMODATE 100 OR MORE STUDENTS.
This course provides an introduction to the theory of how consumers and business firms behave in the market economy. The topics include demand and supply in a competitive market, optimal consumption choice by the individual household given its budget constraint, the producer's costs and output decisions, the demand for labor and other inputs, and economic outcomes under product demand structures ranging from perfect competition to pure monopoly. For specific instructor syllabi and requirements, contact individual instructor.
ECO 304K • Introduction To Microeconomics
34110 •
Fall 2012
Meets
TTH 1100am-1230pm BUR 106
show description
ANALYSIS OF THE ECONOMIC BEHAVIOR OF INDIVIDUAL CONSUMERS, FIRMS, AND WORKERS; SPECIAL ATTENTION TO THE ROLE OF MARKETS.
DESIGNED TO ACCOMMODATE 100 OR MORE STUDENTS.
This course provides an introduction to the theory of how consumers and business firms behave in the market economy. The topics include demand and supply in a competitive market, optimal consumption choice by the individual household given its budget constraint, the producer's costs and output decisions, the demand for labor and other inputs, and economic outcomes under product demand structures ranging from perfect competition to pure monopoly. For specific instructor syllabi and requirements, contact individual instructor.
ECO 376M • Economics Of Life
34320 •
Fall 2012
Meets
TTH 200pm-330pm UTC 3.112
show description
Prerequisite: Economics 420K with a grade of at least C-.
Course number may be repeated for credit when the topics vary.
Economics 376M is a course in personnel economics. We will use economic theory to analyze how profit-maximizing firms make decisions involving human resources. Among the topics to be covered are the following: Neoclassical labor demand theory Recruiting, hiring, and job design Training and investment in workers' human capital Compensation, promotion, and provision of incentives Nonwage job attributes and fringe benefits The first unit of the course, covering neoclassical labor demand theory, will use tools familiar from ECO 420K to analyze how firms determine the number and mix of workers to use in production. In this unit of the course, we will assume that labor markets are perfectly competitive and all agents have perfect information. In much of the rest of the course, we will relax these assumptions. For example, to understand firms' recruiting behavior, we will consider models in which workers have private information about their ability or in which it takes time for firms to locate workers who are good matches with the firm. To understand the consequences of firm-provided training, we will consider models in which a worker's productivity at the current firm grows with job seniority. And to understand how compensation methods and promotion ladders can provide work incentives, we will consider models in which firms cannot observe workers' choices of effort. This course is a writing component course and therefore a large proportion of your course grade will be determined by your performance on various writing assignments.
ECO 304K • Introduction To Microeconomics
34020 •
Fall 2011
Meets
TTH 1100am-1230pm BUR 106
show description
ANALYSIS OF THE ECONOMIC BEHAVIOR OF INDIVIDUAL CONSUMERS, FIRMS, AND WORKERS; SPECIAL ATTENTION TO THE ROLE OF MARKETS.
DESIGNED TO ACCOMMODATE 100 OR MORE STUDENTS.
This course provides an introduction to the theory of how consumers and business firms behave in the market economy. The topics include demand and supply in a competitive market, optimal consumption choice by the individual household given its budget constraint, the producer's costs and output decisions, the demand for labor and other inputs, and economic outcomes under product demand structures ranging from perfect competition to pure monopoly. For specific instructor syllabi and requirements, contact individual instructor.
ECO 304K • Introduction To Microeconomics
33315 •
Fall 2010
Meets
TTH 1100am-1230pm BUR 106
show description
ANALYSIS OF THE ECONOMIC BEHAVIOR OF INDIVIDUAL CONSUMERS, FIRMS, AND WORKERS; SPECIAL ATTENTION TO THE ROLE OF MARKETS.
DESIGNED TO ACCOMMODATE 100 OR MORE STUDENTS.
This course provides an introduction to the theory of how consumers and business firms behave in the market economy. The topics include demand and supply in a competitive market, optimal consumption choice by the individual household given its budget constraint, the producer's costs and output decisions, the demand for labor and other inputs, and economic outcomes under product demand structures ranging from perfect competition to pure monopoly. For specific instructor syllabi and requirements, contact individual instructor.
ECO 341K • Introduction To Econometrics
33480 •
Fall 2010
Meets
TTH 200pm-330pm BUR 220
show description
INTRODUCES THE STUDENT TO STANDARD REGRESSION PROCEDURES OF PARAMETER ESTIMATION AND HYPOTHESIS TESTING IN ECONOMICS.
PREREQUISITE: ECONOMICS 420K AND 329 WITH A GRADE OF AT LEAST C- IN EACH.
Econometrics is an application of statistical methods to the estimation of economic relationships. Students are expected to have an understanding of both statistics and economic theory. This course reveals how relationships among economic variables are discerned from data. The primary focus of this course is on estimation methodology. If more information is needed contact instructor.
ECO 304K-H • Intro To Microeconomics-Honors
33620 •
Fall 2009
Meets
TTH 1100-1230pm BUR 106
show description
Fall 2009
D. Hamermesh
ECO 304K: INTRODUCTION TO MICROECONOMICS (HONORS)
Unique No. 33620
Course Outline and Required
Reading
OFFICE HOURS: D. Hamermesh, 2.162 BRB (just north of Gregory Gym)
Monday, 11-1, Wednesday 1:15-3:15, or by appointment
WEBSITE: www.eco.utexas.edu/faculty/Hamermesh/class.html
Teaching Assistants:
Liangfei Qiu 3-5, MW
BRB 2.120
Jake Zhao 2-3:30 M; 2-3:30 Tu
BRB 3.124
Luis Silva 9-10:30 Tu; 11-12:30 W
BRB 4.128
BOOKS, etc.:
1. G. Stone, Core Microeconomics, with Course Tutor. Worth, 2009, 1st edition
(paper) STONE. ISBN 1-4292-4433-X
2. D. Hamermesh, Economics Is Everywhere. Worth, 2010 (paper) EIE ISBN
1-4292-4433-X
3. i-clicker, in case you do not already have one.
4. Course Packet of materials for ECO 304K with D. Hamermesh, to be downloaded
by you from the website listed above.
EXAMS:
There will be two 75-minute-long exams in class, Thursday, Sept. 24 and
Thursday, Oct. 29. The first will be all short essay; the second will be part
short essay, part multiple-choice. There will be multiple-choice quizzes (8 in
total) in class except Thursdays, Aug. 27, Sept. 24, Oct. 1, Oct. 29, Nov. 5,
Nov. 26 and Dec. 3. The final exam will be MONDAY, Dec. 14, 2-4:30PM. Please do
not plan to leave campus before that date. EXCEPT FOR CONFLICTS WITH OTHER
FINAL EXAMS or a compelling personal reason, you must take the final exam at
this time. The final will be entirely multiple-choice. All tests will include
questions based on the lectures. There will be a Q&A session shortly before each
midterm and the final.
Copies of past tests are in the course packet along with suggested answers to
them. Quiz answers will be posted on the website the afternoon of the quiz. The
website will also contain an occasional "Economic Thought of the Day"-consult it
regularly! Most of these can also be read, along with interesting thoughts by
other economists, at http://freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com/ . Also, I will send
occasional announcements/reminders through email.
GRADING (Regular Section) Possible Grades are A, A-, B+, B, B-, etc.
Standard: The quizzes count 15 percent in total, with the lowest two scores
being discarded (including up to two missed quizzes). Each midterm counts 20
percent; the final exam counts 40 percent. (There are no make-up quizzes or
midterms.) The remaining 5 percent of the grade is based on an original "Story"
that you turn in between November 12 and November 21. If you miss a midterm,
your course grade will continue to be based 15 percent on the quizzes, 20
percent on the other midterm, 5 percent on the "Story," but 60 percent of the
grade will be based on the final. Scores on quizzes and exams will be available
on eGradeBook.
The "Hammer Homer": If your final exam score is in the top 5 percent of this
Section, you receive an automatic A for the course IF you have turned in a
passing "Story" AND you have taken BOTH midterms.
The first paragraph of the "Story" must state something that you have observed
in the real world, in your family life, in a song (list the relevant lyrics) or
in a movie (describe the scene). The second paragraph must then provide a brief
analysis demonstrating how the item described in the first paragraph illustrates
a particular economic concept covered in class. The "Story" cannot duplicate
any in Economics Is Everywhere or any story, song or movie discussed in class.
Also, it cannot be one of those discussed in Dirk Mateer, Economics in the
Movies (Thomson, 2005), a little workbook that you may find interesting. The
story must be printed out-no email attachments accepted.
GRADING (Honors Section)
All of the above plus:
One additional "Story" to be handed in during Section meeting on Thursday,
October 8; 5 percent
4 graded homework assignments, due in Section meetings on selected dates; 10
percent
Attendance/participation in experiments in Section; 5 percent.
With these three and the "Standard" there is a total of 120 percent. Your total
will thus be multiplied by 5/6 to place it on a 100-point scale. The "Hammer
Homer" does not apply to this Section.
SCHEDULE:
Chapters or
Week Ending Topic Pages in
STONE Chapters in EIE
August 28 Scarcity 1, incl. Appendix; start 2.
September 4 Supply and demand Finish 2,
except pp. 41-47; 3. 2
September 11 Supply and demand 4, except pp. 88-98 and 102-103; 3,4 Start 5.
September 18 Elasticity; Finish 5, except pp. 128-131; 5
nature of demand Start 6.
Policy Lecture: Health
September 25 Nature of demand Finish 6,
except Appendix; 6. pp. 282-286.
FIRST MIDTERM, September 24
October 2 Production; short- 7. 7, 8 run costs
October 9 Short-run output 8. 9, 10, 11
decisions; the long run
October 16 Monopoly. 217-230 12, 13
October 23 Monopolistic competition; 10, except pp. 258-261 14 game theory
October 30 Oligopoly 230-249
SECOND MIDTERM, October 29
November 6 Discounting; input markets. pp. 287-292 and 296-307. 15, 16 Policy Lecture: Sports
November 13 Income distribution; 12, except pp. 327-333; 14; 17 discrimination "automation reading."
Policy Lecture: Social Security
November 20 Externalities and pp. 88-98; 13. 18 pollution
November 27 Taxation pp. 102-103, 127-131 19
December 4 International trade pp. 41-47; 15. 20 "sweatshop reading."
ECO 304K • Introduction To Microeconomics
33630 •
Fall 2009
Meets
TTH 1100-1230pm BUR 106
show description
Fall 2009
ECO 304K: INTRODUCTION TO MICROECONOMICS
Unique No. 33630
D. Hamermesh
Course Outline and Required Reading
OFFICE HOURS: D. Hamermesh, 2.162 BRB (just north of Gregory Gym)
Monday, 11-1, Wednesday 1:15-3:15, or by appointment
WEBSITE: www.eco.utexas.edu/faculty/Hamermesh/class.html
Teaching Assistants:
Liangfei Qiu 3-5, MW
BRB 2.120
Jake Zhao 2-3:30 M; 2-3:30 Tu
BRB 3.124
Luis Silva 9-10:30 Tu; 11-12:30 W
BRB 4.128
BOOKS, etc.:
1. G. Stone, Core Microeconomics, with Course Tutor. Worth, 2009, 1st edition
(paper) STONE. ISBN 1-4292-4433-X
2. D. Hamermesh, Economics Is Everywhere. Worth, 2010 (paper) EIE ISBN
1-4292-4433-X
3. i-clicker, in case you do not already have one.
4. Course Packet of materials for ECO 304K with D. Hamermesh, to be downloaded
by you from the website listed above.
EXAMS:
There will be two 75-minute-long exams in class, Thursday, Sept. 24 and
Thursday, Oct. 29. The first will be all short essay; the second will be part
short essay, part multiple-choice. There will be multiple-choice quizzes (8 in
total) in class except Thursdays, Aug. 27, Sept. 24, Oct. 1, Oct. 29, Nov. 5,
Nov. 26 and Dec. 3. The final exam will be MONDAY, Dec. 14, 2-4:30PM. Please do
not plan to leave campus before that date. EXCEPT FOR CONFLICTS WITH OTHER
FINAL EXAMS or a compelling personal reason, you must take the final exam at
this time. The final will be entirely multiple-choice. All tests will include
questions based on the lectures. There will be a Q&A session shortly before each
midterm and the final.
Copies of past tests are in the course packet along with suggested answers to
them. Quiz answers will be posted on the website the afternoon of the quiz. The
website will also contain an occasional "Economic Thought of the Day"-consult it
regularly! Most of these can also be read, along with interesting thoughts by
other economists, at http://freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com/ . Also, I will send
occasional announcements/reminders through email.
GRADING (Regular Section) Possible Grades are A, A-, B+, B, B-, etc.
Standard: The quizzes count 15 percent in total, with the lowest two scores
being discarded (including up to two missed quizzes). Each midterm counts 20
percent; the final exam counts 40 percent. (There are no make-up quizzes or
midterms.) The remaining 5 percent of the grade is based on an original "Story"
that you turn in between November 12 and November 21. If you miss a midterm,
your course grade will continue to be based 15 percent on the quizzes, 20
percent on the other midterm, 5 percent on the "Story," but 60 percent of the
grade will be based on the final. Scores on quizzes and exams will be available
on eGradeBook.
The "Hammer Homer": If your final exam score is in the top 5 percent of this
Section, you receive an automatic A for the course IF you have turned in a
passing "Story" AND you have taken BOTH midterms.
The first paragraph of the "Story" must state something that you have observed
in the real world, in your family life, in a song (list the relevant lyrics) or
in a movie (describe the scene). The second paragraph must then provide a brief
analysis demonstrating how the item described in the first paragraph illustrates
a particular economic concept covered in class. The "Story" cannot duplicate
any in Economics Is Everywhere or any story, song or movie discussed in class.
Also, it cannot be one of those discussed in Dirk Mateer, Economics in the
Movies (Thomson, 2005), a little workbook that you may find interesting. The
story must be printed out-no email attachments accepted.
GRADING (Honors Section)
All of the above plus:
One additional "Story" to be handed in during Section meeting on Thursday,
October 8; 5 percent
4 graded homework assignments, due in Section meetings on selected dates; 10
percent
Attendance/participation in experiments in Section; 5 percent.
With these three and the "Standard" there is a total of 120 percent. Your total
will thus be multiplied by 5/6 to place it on a 100-point scale. The "Hammer
Homer" does not apply to this Section.
SCHEDULE:
Chapters or
Week Ending Topic Pages in
STONE Chapters in EIE
August 28 Scarcity 1, incl. Appendix; start 2.
September 4 Supply and demand Finish 2,
except pp. 41-47; 3. 2
September 11 Supply and demand 4, except pp. 88-98 and 102-103; 3,4 Start 5.
September 18 Elasticity; Finish 5, except pp. 128-131; 5
nature of demand Start 6.
Policy Lecture: Health
September 25 Nature of demand Finish 6,
except Appendix; 6. pp. 282-286.
FIRST MIDTERM, September 24
October 2 Production; short- 7. 7, 8 run costs
October 9 Short-run output 8. 9, 10, 11
decisions; the long run
October 16 Monopoly. 217-230 12, 13
October 23 Monopolistic competition; 10, except pp. 258-261 14 game theory
October 30 Oligopoly 230-249
SECOND MIDTERM, October 29
November 6 Discounting; input markets. pp. 287-292 and 296-307. 15, 16 Policy Lecture: Sports
November 13 Income distribution; 12, except pp. 327-333; 14; 17 discrimination "automation reading."
Policy Lecture: Social Security
November 20 Externalities and pp. 88-98; 13. 18 pollution
November 27 Taxation pp. 102-103, 127-131 19
December 4 International trade pp. 41-47; 15. 20 "sweatshop reading."
ECO 376M • Economics Of Life-W
33915 •
Fall 2009
Meets
TTH 200pm-330pm BRB 2.136
(also listed as
WGS 345 )
show description
Prerequisite: Economics 420K with a grade of at least C-.
Course number may be repeated for credit when the topics vary.
Economics 376M is a course in personnel economics. We will use economic theory to analyze how profit-maximizing firms make decisions involving human resources. Among the topics to be covered are the following: Neoclassical labor demand theory Recruiting, hiring, and job design Training and investment in workers' human capital Compensation, promotion, and provision of incentives Nonwage job attributes and fringe benefits The first unit of the course, covering neoclassical labor demand theory, will use tools familiar from ECO 420K to analyze how firms determine the number and mix of workers to use in production. In this unit of the course, we will assume that labor markets are perfectly competitive and all agents have perfect information. In much of the rest of the course, we will relax these assumptions. For example, to understand firms' recruiting behavior, we will consider models in which workers have private information about their ability or in which it takes time for firms to locate workers who are good matches with the firm. To understand the consequences of firm-provided training, we will consider models in which a worker's productivity at the current firm grows with job seniority. And to understand how compensation methods and promotion ladders can provide work incentives, we will consider models in which firms cannot observe workers' choices of effort. This course is a writing component course and therefore a large proportion of your course grade will be determined by your performance on various writing assignments.


