My name is (Professor, Dr.) Ken Woodward. I received my master's degree in Economics from the University of Pittsburgh, and I have a Ph.D. from the University of California at Riverside. I have been teaching economics for more than twenty years at various colleges.  My principal interests in economics center on macroeconomics and international political economy.   I have found that my travel experiences throughout the world have given me new insights and perspectives on economic theory.

Most of my teaching load in recent years has been in Economics 2: Principles of Macroeconomics.  Macroeconomics looks at the "big picture" or the aggregate economy. Microeconomics (Econ 4) is the study of individual markets and how they work. In short, microeconomics is the economics of one thing at a time, and macroeconomics is the economics of everything at once. 

Contemporary economic concerns such as unemployment, inflation, business cycles, and economic growth are some of major topics in macroeconomics.  Emphasis is placed on macroeconomic policy, including the budget and spending decisions of the public sector, and the role of the Federal Reserve.  There is a special focus on the international dimensions of macroeconomics throughout Econ 2.

In the Fall 2011 semester I am excited to be team teaching a course called International Political Economy (Econ 11, PS 11) with Professor Michael Merrifield.  For anyone who is interested in exploring the momentous changes that are occuring as a result of globalization from an interdisciplinary social sciences perspective this is the course for you. Econ 11 will focus on the relations between the political and economic systems within the global economy. International Political Economy will cover the impact of political decisions on world economies and international organizations.