Introductory Macroeconomics  An introduction to macroeconomics: a consideration of macroeconomic problems such as unemployment and inflation. Theories and policy proposals of Keynesian and classical economists are contrasted. Topics considered include: banking, financial institutions, monetary policy, taxation, government spending, fiscal policy, tradeoffs between inflation and unemployment in both the short run and the long run, and wage-price spirals.

Poverty, Inequality and Distributive Justice This seminar will explore recent theoretical and empirical research on socioeconomic inequality. The definitions, causes and consequences of inequality at both the individual (micro) and national and international (macro) levels will be considered.

Macroeconomic Theory Macroeconomic theory analyzes whether the market effectively coordinates individuals' decisions so that they lead to acceptable results. It considers the effectiveness of monetary, fiscal, and other policies in achieving desirable levels of unemployment, inflation, and growth. The theories held by various schools of economic thought such as Keynesians, monetarists, and new classicals are considered along with their proposed policies.

Happiness Economists now devote considerable effort to rigorous identification of the sources of happiness or well-being. To do so, they draw on a range of methods and disciplines, from philosophy and psychology to statistics and, of course, economics. In this seminar, we will sample this fascinating literature and discuss the “science of happiness” and its implications for our own lives. Students will also build a portfolio of work designed to answer a happiness-related question of specific interest to them, using the qualitative and quantitative methods learned during the semester, and then share their findings with one another.

Microeconomic Theory Microeconomic theory concentrates on the study of the determination of relative prices and their importance in shaping the allocation of resources and the distribution of income in an economy. We will study the optimizing behavior of households in a variety of settings: buying goods and services, saving, and labor supply decisions. We will also examine the behavior of firms in different market structures. Together, the theories of household and firm behavior help illumine contemporary economic issues (discrimination in labor markets, mergers in the corporate world, positive and negative externalities, for example).

Senior Research Workshop II In this second semester of the senior research workshop sequence, the focus is on the execution of the research plan developed in ECON 0701.  Most instruction is now one-on-one but the workshop will still meet as a group to discuss and practice the presentation of results in various formats (seminars, poster sessions, et cetera) to the rest of the workshop and others in the college and broader communities. Feedback and critiques from such presentations will be incorporated into the project, which will culminate in a research paper in the style of an economics journal article.

Senior Research Workshop I In this first semester, students will design and begin their projects. Emphasis will be on designing a novel research question (while making the case for its importance) and an appropriate strategy for answering it. This requires immersion in the academic literature on the topic. General research principles and tools will be taught in class, as a group, while those specific to individual projects will be covered in one-on-one meetings. By the end of the term, students will outline their plan for completing the project, including demonstrating that it is a feasible research question for which the necessary information (e.g., data or source materials) is available or can be generated by the student (e.g., lab or other experiment).

Peter Matthews

Reviews and ratings for Peter Matthews at Middlebury College.Peter Matthews teaches Intro Macroeconomics, Inequality and Justice, Macro Theory and more.  Explore top rated instructors and find the best for you.Is Peter Matthews good ? Find out on MiddCourses.

The class was very interesting. A lot of homework as well. Tests are not as difficult. Helpful in office hours. Cold calls students often. The homework can be difficult. However he was nice during class.

Professor Matthews is clearly passionate about the subject and genuinely enjoys introducing students to the study of happiness. Each class brings in new research or ideas, with weekly readings from a textbook. Most classes would start with a short 5 minute written analysis on the readings, followed by a discussion. There were no exams and just one project to end the year. 

This was my first course in the economics department at Middlebury, and it made me fall in love!  Now, as a declared economics major, I can't help but look back and appreciate all that this course and Professor Matthews have done to inspire my passion for economics!