110006 - ANALYSIS OF THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT

Subject type: Mandatory

Coordinator: Maria Dolors Celma Benaiges

Trimester: Second term

Credits: 4

Academic year: 2025

Teaching course: 1

• English
• Spanish

Spanish (80%), English (20%).

Check the schedules of the different groups to find out the language of instruction, although the material can be in any of the three official languages ​​of the UPF.

The subject Analysis of the Economic and Social Environment is part of the introduction to the fundamentals of macroeconomic analysis. The aim of the subject is to offer a view of the functioning of the economy in the markets of goods and services and in the financial markets. The purpose is for the student to acquire a rigorous and up-to-date view of the main problems and perspectives of macroeconomics.

The classroom (physical or virtual) is a safe space, free of sexist, racist, homophobic, transphobic and discriminatory attitudes, either towards students or teachers. We trust that together we can create a safe space to learn without having to suffer prejudices from others.

Topic 1. Introduction

• The importance of macroeconomics
• Macroeconomic aggregates (GDP, unemployment, inflation, etc.)
• Classification of macroeconomic models

Subject 2. Market of goods and services (IS)

• The demand for goods
• The determination of production in equilibrium
• Investment equal to savings
• Fiscal policies

Topic 3. Financial markets (LM)

• The demand for money
• The determination of the interest rate
• Two ways to examine macroeconomic balance

Subject 4. The markets of goods and services and financial together: The model IS-LM

• The IS curve
• The LM curve
• Joint analysis of the IS and LM curves
• Fiscal policy and monetary policy
• The IS-LM model and the liquid trap

Topic 5. Expectations

• Policy changes derived from expectations
• Expected inflation, expected productivity, expected taxes etc

Item 6. The labor market (medium term)

• The determination of wages
• The determination of prices
• The natural unemployment rate
• Women in the labor market

Item 7. Aggregate analysis: the OA-DA model

• The aggregate offer
• Aggregate demand
• The balance in the short and medium term
• The effects of monetary policy
• The effects of fiscal policy

Item 8. Solow model.

• The consumption function
• The accumulation of capital
• Population growth
• The carbon fund for a sustainable economy (FES-CO2)

Conformity with REGULATION (EC) no 1071/2009 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of October 21, 2009

In accordance with REGULATION (EC) No. 1071/2009 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of October 21, 2009, which establishes the common rules relating to the conditions that must be met for the exercise of the profession of road transporter, this subject complies with the provisions of Annex I, within the list of subjects mentioned in Article 8, Section F: Elements of Access to the markets, working and evaluating within it, the following contents:

F. Access to markets

The applicant must, in particular, in relation to the transport of goods and passengers by road, know the following:

1. the professional regulations for road transport on behalf of others, for the hire of industrial vehicles, for subcontracting, in particular the rules relating to the official organization of the profession, access to the profession, authorizations for intra-community and extra-community road transport and control and sanctions;
2. the regulations relating to the creation of a road transport company;
3. the different documents necessary for the provision of road transport services and the introduction of verification procedures to guarantee the presence, both in the company and on board the vehicles, of the compliant documents corresponding to each transport operation carried out, in particular the documents relating to the vehicle, the driver, the merchandise and the luggage;

in relation to the transport of goods by road:

       4. the rules relating to the organization of the road freight transport market and those relating to freight forwarding and logistics;

       5. border crossing procedures, the function and scope of T documents and TIR carnets, as well as the obligations and responsibilities arising from their use;

in relation to the transport of passengers by road:

       6. the rules relating to the organization of the road passenger transport market;

       7. the rules for the creation of transport services and the preparation of transport plans.

Students will be required to pass each part of the course separately to pass the entire course (taking more than a 5 out of 10).

Recoveries

Students who have failed the subject will be entitled to retake the final exam. It is necessary to have a 5/10 in the resit exam so that it is weighted with the rest of the assessment marks.  

A student who has not applied for the first call CANNOT apply for recovery.

BLANCHARD, O., A. Amighini, & F. Giavazzi (2017) “Macroeconomics”. Publisher: Pearson Education; Seventh Edition, Madrid.

MANKIW, Gregory N. (2020), “Macroeconomics”. Published by Antoni Bosch; Tenth Edition, Barcelona.

Azmat, G., & Petrongolo, B. (2014). Gender and the labor market: What have we learned from field and lab experiments ?. Labor Economics, 30, 32-40.

DORNBUSCH, R., Fischer, S., & Startz, R. (2018). Macroeconomics. McGraw Hill. 13th Edition.