AP® Macroeconomics

For Students

Enrollment for Basic and On Demand courses is open on a rolling basis.

For Educators

Teachers can use the complete Plus course curriculum for flexible instruction.

Course Summary

Acquire basic economic concepts and learn how to think like an economist. Topics include supply and demand, measures of economic health, such as GDP, unemployment, and inflation rate, and fiscal and monetary policy. Students explore macroeconomic concepts such as the major economic goals of an economy, how to meet goals through policy implementation, and how to deal with competing goals. Examine trade and foreign markets and analyze theories to assess both national and international economies.

This course prepares students for the AP® Macroeconomics exam.

NCAA Approved: Yes

Course Prerequisite(s): None. However, students should be able to read a college-level textbook, write grammatically correct sentences, analyze images, think critically, and write evidence-based essays.

A-G Area: G - College Preparatory Electives

Curriculum

This is a 1-semester course.

UC Scout courses (except language courses) are conducted entirely in English, including all lessons, assignments, and exams. Students are expected to complete all coursework — including proctored midterm and final exams — in English. Translation tools and browser extensions (such as Google Translate) are not permitted during proctored exams. Students who rely on translation tools to complete coursework should be aware that these tools will not be available during proctored assessments.

Semester 1

Unit 1: Basic Economic Concepts

Scarcity
Opportunity Cost
Production Possibilities
Specialization and Comparative Advantage
Traditional, Command, and Market Economies
Functions of Any Economic System

Unit 2: Supply and Demand

Demand
Supply
Equilibrium Price and Quantity
Price Floor and Price Ceiling

Unit 3: National Income and Price Determination

Gross Domestic Product and National Income Concepts
Aggregate Demand and Supply; National Income and Price Determination
Classical Theory and Keynesian Theory: An Introduction
Fiscal Policy

Unit 4: Measures of Economic Performance

Economic Growth and Productivity
Unemployment
Inflation
The Phillips Curve

Unit 5: Stabilization Policies and the Financial Sector

Money Defined
Money Market
Fractional Reserve Banking
Banks and the Creation of Money
Loanable Funds Market
Monetary Policy: Tools of the Fed

Unit 6: Open Economy: International Trade

The Balance of Payments
Foreign Exchange (FOREX)
Financial Capital Flows of Nations

Unit 7: Practice AP® Test

Tips for the Course Review and AP® Macroeconomics Exam