Political Economics
A.A. Degree Mathematics · Chaffey College · 2026-2027 Catalog
Description
The Political Economics AA degree is intended to develop a different skill set than the Economics AA-T degree. The discipline of economics enables students to develop a broad understanding of the world, particularly clarifying the process of decision-making. When people, business, or their representatives make a choice between alternative activities — for example, a business decision to hire more workers or, instead, buy a new machine — there will be an impact. Each alternative has associated costs and benefits. Economics teaches us how to analyze the costs and benefits so that we can make more informed decisions. Economics also addresses the impact of decisions upon equity (fairness), particularly as measured by the distribution of wealth and income. With less of an emphasis on mathematics than a traditional Economics degree, the Political Economics AA degree integrates coursework from other disciplines to provide students with a broader knowledge of contemporary issues and economic policies, as well as practical skills in research, data analysis, and writing for the public and is aligned with the Bachelor of Arts in Political Economy at CSU San Bernardino.
Program Learning Outcomes
Upon the successful completion of this program, students should be able to:
- Identify the three macroeconomic goals and determine economic policies to achieve them.
- Explain how deviations from the optimal output level might occur including an analysis of the impact of taxes, externalities, and price controls by correctly applying these issues to the demand and supply model.
- Apply marginal benefit marginal opportunity cost analysis to economic decisions made by individuals, households, businesses, and/or governments.
- Determine the type of industrial organization/market structure by analyzing the characteristics of an industry to determine its degree of competition.
| Course | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Major requirements for the Associate in Arts Degree (AA): | ||
| Required Core: | 17-18 | |
| ECON C2002 | Principles of Macroeconomics | 3 |
| ECON C2001 | Principles of Microeconomics | 3 |
| Choose one: | 4 | |
| SCSCI 10 | Statistics for Social Science | 4 |
| orSTAT C1000 | Introduction to Statistics | 4 |
| Choose one: | 4 | |
| MATH 25 | College Algebra | 4 |
| orMATH 60 | Calculus for Business | 4 |
| orMATH 61 | Pre-Calculus | 4 |
| Choose one: | 3-4 | |
| ACCTG 1A | Financial Accounting | 4 |
| orJOUR 10 | Newswriting | 3 |
| Any one course: | 3 | |
| PS 7 | International Relations | 3 |
| PS 10 | Comparative Politics | 3 |
| PS 21 | Urban Politics | 3 |
| SOC 10 | Introduction to Sociology | 3 |
| Total | 20-21 | |
Other Information
Public Service, Culture, and Society
Local Program (Major) Code: A145
Program Control Number: 04815
TOP Code: 2204.00
CIP Code: 45.0601