AP® Macroeconomics & AP® Microeconomics

Course Overview

AP® Macroeconomics & AP® Microeconomics is a fast-moving dual-AP® course designed for high achieving students who are seeking to gain solid understandings of Macroeconomics and Microeconomics before college. Students begin the year with an introduction to Macroeconomics, focusing on the economic principles underlying aggregate economic behavior. National income and price level determination are major components of the course. Measures of economic performance, such as Gross Domestic Product (GDP), inflation, and unemployment are examined. Basic analytical tools are used to examine the financial sector, stabilization policies, economic growth, foreign exchange, and international trade. In the second semester, students are introduced to the principles of Microeconomics and learn why private markets and the price mechanism led to an efficient allocation of resources in a market-based economy. Market structure, market failure, resource markets, and the role of government are included. Throughout the course, students analyze societal issues through the lens of economic reasoning, develop critical thinking skills through their understanding of fundamental economic concepts, and increase their ability to analyze information and draw conclusions from a wide variety of real-world situations. Students complete collaborative assignments, group discussions, and assessments that require them to apply what they have learned to hypothetical situations. The curriculum is developed to prepare students for the AP® Macroeconomics and AP® Microeconomics Exam in May.