Spring 2026
Principles of Macroeconomics
Principles of Macroeconomics (ECON 2301-9J.1) CREDIT 03 Semester Credit Hours (03 hours lecture, 00 hours lab) MODE OF INSTRUCTION Online PREREQUISITE/CO-REQUISITE: None COURSE DESCRIPTION An analysis of the economic system as a whole, including measurement and determination of Aggregate Demand and Aggregate Supply, National Income, Inflation, and Unemployment. Other topics include International Trade, Economic Growth, Business Cycles, Fiscal Policy, and Monetary Policy. LEARNING OBJECTIVES Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to • Explain the role of Scarcity, Specialization, Opportunity Cost, and Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) in economic decision-making. • Identify the determinants of Supply and Demand; Demonstrate the impact of shifts in both Market Supply and Market Demand Curves on Equilibrium Price and Equilibrium Output. • Define and Measure National Income, Rates of Unemployment, and Rates of Inflation. • Identify the phases of the Business Cycle and the problems caused by cyclical fluctuations in the Market-based political-economic system. • Define the concept of Money and the Money Supply; Describe the process of money creation by the banking system and the role of a Central Bank. • Construct the Aggregate Demand and Aggregate Supply (AD-AS) Model of the macroeconomy and use the AD-AS Model to illustrate macroeconomic problems and potential Monetary and Fiscal Policy solutions. • Explain the mechanics and institutions of International Trade and their impact on the macroeconomy. • Define Economic Growth and Identify sources of Economic Growth. CORE OBJECTIVES • Communication Skills: Students will demonstrate effective written, oral, and visual communication. • Critical-Thinking Skills: Students will engage in creative and/or innovative thinking, and/or inquiry, analysis, evaluation, synthesis of information, organizing concepts, and constructing solutions. • Empirical and Quantitative Skills: Students will demonstrate applications of scientific and mathematical concepts. • Social Responsibility: Students will demonstrate inter-cultural competency and civic knowledge by engaging effectively in local, regional, and/or global communities. Approved: Initials/date INSTRUCTOR CONTACT INFORMATION Instructor: Matthew Johnson Email: mtjohnson@lit.edu Office Phone: 409.247.4982 Office Location: Technology Centre (TC), Suite 216 Office Hours: M/W/F: 1000-1230; Tu/Th:1100-1230 REQUIRED TEXTBOOK AND MATERIALS Principles of Macroeconomics, 3e (OpenStax) ISBN: 978-1-711471-47-1 Digital PDF and Web-Access versions of the textbook are provided to students without charge through the course Blackboard Portal. PARTICIPATION POLICY Students are highly encouraged to log-in and access the course 2-3 times per week. Attendance is taken daily for face-to-face classes. DROP POLICY If you wish to drop a course, you are responsible for initiating and completing the drop process. If you stop coming to class and fail to drop the course, you will earn an “F” in the course. COURSE CALENDAR DATE TOPIC READINGS (Due on this Date) ASSIGNMENTS (Due on this Date) 01/21/26 Syllabus Syllabus Syllabus Test 01/22/26 Pre-Test N/A Pre-Test (Not for a Grade) 01/22/26 Chapter 01 Chapter 01 Chapter 01 Discussion 01/23/26 Chapter 01 Chapter 01 Chapter 01 Homework 01/26/26 Chapter 02 Chapter 02 Chapter 02 Discussion 01/27/26 Chapter 02 Chapter 02 Chapter 02 Homework 02/02/26 Chapter 03 Chapter 03 Chapter 03 Discussion 02/03/26 Chapter 03 Chapter 03 Chapter 03 Homework 02/04/26 Chapter 04 Chapter 04 Chapter 04 Discussion 02/05/26 Chapter 04 Chapter 04 Chapter 04 Homework 02/09/26 Chapter 05 Chapter 05 Chapter 05 Discussion 02/10/26 Chapter 05 Chapter 05 Chapter 05 Homework 02/13/26 Unit 01 Exam (Test) 02/16/26 Chapter 06 Chapter 06 Chapter 06 Discussion 02/17/26 Chapter 06 Chapter 06 Chapter 06 Homework 02/18/26 Chapter 07 Chapter 07 Chapter 07 Discussion 02/19/26 Chapter 07 Chapter 07 Chapter 07 Homework 02/23/26 Chapter 08 Chapter 08 Chapter 08 Discussion 02/24/26 Chapter 08 Chapter 08 Chapter 08 Homework 02/25/26 Chapter 09 Chapter 09 Chapter 09 Discussion 02/26/26 Chapter 09 Chapter 09 Chapter 09 Homework 03/02/26 Chapter 10 Chapter 10 Chapter 10 Discussion 03/03/26 Chapter 10 Chapter 10 Chapter 10 Homework 03/06/26 Unit 02 Exam (Test) 03/16/26 Chapter 11 Chapter 11 Chapter 11 Discussion 03/17/26 Chapter 11 Chapter 11 Chapter 11 Homework 03/18/26 Chapter 12 Chapter 12 Chapter 12 Discussion 03/19/26 Chapter 12 Chapter 12 Chapter 12 Homework 03/23/26 Chapter 13 Chapter 13 Chapter 13 Discussion 03/24/26 Chapter 13 Chapter 13 Chapter 13 Homework 03/27/26 Unit 03 Exam (Test) 03/30/26 Chapter 14 Chapter 14 Chapter 14 Discussion 03/31/26 Chapter 14 Chapter 14 Chapter 14 Homework 04/01/26 Chapter 15 Chapter 15 Chapter 15 Discussion 04/02/26 Chapter 15 Chapter 15 Chapter 15 Homework 04/06/26 Chapter 16 Chapter 16 Chapter 16 Discussion 04/07/26 Chapter 16 Chapter 16 Chapter 16 Homework 04/08/26 Chapter 17 Chapter 17 Chapter 17 Discussion 04/09/26 Chapter 17 Chapter 17 Chapter 17 Homework 04/13/26 Chapter 18 Chapter 18 Chapter 18 Discussion 04/14/26 Chapter 18 Chapter 18 Chapter 18 Homework 04/17/26 Unit 04 Exam (Test) 04/20/26 Chapter 19 Chapter 19 Chapter 19 Discussion 04/21/26 Chapter 19 Chapter 19 Chapter 19 Homework 04/22/26 Chapter 20 Chapter 20 Chapter 20 Discussion 04/23/26 Chapter 20 Chapter 20 Chapter 20 Homework 04/27/26 Chapter 21 Chapter 21 Chapter 21 Discussion 04/28/26 Chapter 21 Chapter 21 Chapter 21 Homework 05/01/26 Unit 05 Exam (Test) 05/08/26 Final Exam COURSE EVALUATION Final grades will be calculated according to the following criteria: ● Chapter Homework—30 percent ● Unit Tests—40 percent ● Final Exam—30 percent GRADE SCALE ● 90-100 A ● 80-89 B ● 70-79 C ● 60-69 D ● 0-59 F TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS For the latest technical requirements, including hardware, compatible browsers, operating systems, etc., review the Minimum Computer and Equipment Requirements on the LIT Online Experience page. A functional broadband internet connection, such as DSL, cable, or WiFi is necessary to maximize the use of online technology and resources. DISABILITIES STATEMENT The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 are federal anti-discrimination statutes that provide comprehensive civil rights for persons with disabilities. LIT provides reasonable accommodations as defined in the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 504 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, to students with a diagnosed disability. The Special Populations Office is located in the Eagles’ Nest Room 129 and helps foster a supportive and inclusive educational environment by maintaining partnerships with faculty and staff, as well as promoting awareness among all members of the Lamar Institute of Technology community. If you believe you have a disability requiring an accommodation, please contact the Special Populations Coordinator at (409)-951-5708 or email specialpopulations@lit.edu. You may also visit the online resource at Special Populations - Lamar Institute of Technology (lit.edu). STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT STATEMENT It is the responsibility of all registered Lamar Institute of Technology students to access, read, understand and abide by all published policies, regulations, and procedures listed in the LIT Catalog and Student Handbook. The LIT Catalog and Student Handbook may be accessed at www.lit.edu. Please note that the online version of the LIT Catalog and Student Handbook supersedes all other versions of the same document. STARFISH LIT utilizes an early alert system called Starfish. Throughout the semester, you may receive emails from Starfish regarding your course grades, attendance, or academic performance. Faculty members record student attendance, raise flags and kudos to express concern or give praise, and you can make an appointment with faculty and staff all through the Starfish home page. You can also login to Blackboard or MyLIT and click on the Starfish link to view academic alerts and detailed information. It is the responsibility of the student to pay attention to these emails and information in Starfish and consider taking the recommended actions. Starfish is used to help you be a successful student at LIT. ADDITIONAL COURSE POLICIES/INFORMATION Announcements: I will typically post announcements weekly, usually on Sunday afternoons. These announcements indicate upcoming due dates and notes which will be important to your success in this course. You should carefully read these announcements every week. Professional Communication: My preferred method of communication is through my office mobile number at 409.247.4982. Please leave a message with your Name, Your Course Number (e.g. ECON 2301-2A.2), and the main reason(s) you are calling me should you be directed to voicemail. I will assume you are a spam call if you do not leave me a message and I will not return your call without this information. Alternatively, you may contact me via email at mtjohnson@lit.edu. Students must use appropriate e-mail etiquette when corresponding with their instructor. This involves writing emails in a “letter” format as opposed to a “text chat” format. Please see the “Email Etiquette” graphic located in the “Helpful Resources” folder in Blackboard for all guidance concerning how to compose a professional and respectful email. Please allow 24-48 business hours for me to either return a missed phone call or an email. For example, an email sent on a Friday at 2:30PM may not be returned until Tuesday at 2:30PM, at the latest. Use of Instructional Materials: Instructional materials, such as Powerpoint Presentations, Instructional Videos, etc. are provided in Blackboard for each Chapter. These will be useful in understanding and reinforcing concepts as they are presented in class. Content folders are scheduled to unlock/grant access throughout the semester to ensure synchronous learning. I am attempting to convert all of my courses into a “Flipped” learning environment. This means that the Powerpoint presentations (i.e. lectures) will be recorded and posted for you to watch and take notes on your own time. Class time will be reserved for the application of theories and a holistic enrichment experience by working through sample problems. Due Dates: All assignments will have their due dates posted in the announcement at the beginning of the week. I allow for a “Grace Period” of 3 days for all Chapter Homework and Unit Exams. I do not allow a Grace Period for Discussion Assignments as they are structured to enhance your learning before submitting a Chapter Homework Assignment, and require timely submission for the assignment to be effective. An example of the Grace Period is as follows. Suppose an assignment is due on Sunday, 20 January at 2300 (11PM). This assignment will be given a Grace Period until Wednesday, 23 January at 1700 (5PM). I do not allow for a Grace Period for the Final Exam or Discussion Posts. Assignments will be permanently locked after the end of the Grace Period. I will not, except under the direst circumstances (e.g. hospitalization), re-open any assignments after the end of the Grace Period. You will need to provide any and all evidence requested by myself should you request to submit any assignment outside of the Grace Period. Chapter Homework: Chapter Homework Assignments are 25-question Multiple-Choice and True-False assessments designed to ensure that you have read, watched, or listened to the necessary content aligned with each Chapter. You will be given 1 hour (60 minutes) to complete each of your Chapter Homework Assignments. You will be given two opportunities to submit each Chapter Homework to me. The final grade for each Chapter Homework will either be the average of the two “raw scores” or the “raw score” from a single submission. Homework Assignments are due by 11:00pm (2300) on their respective due dates. Chapter Discussions: Chapter Discussion assignments are due the day before each respective Chapter Homework Assignment. Discussion Assignments in this course will not require you to interact with your peers. Instead, you are required to simulate a conversation with a notable political-economist either from history or during the contemporary era. Each Discussion Assignment has an attached rubric for grading purposes and contains a specific set of instructions unique to each chapter. Discussion Assignments are not eligible for the 3-Day Grace Period. Discussion Assignments are optional and are not part of your overall grade. Unit Exams: Exams will be provided within a Blackboard Examination window. The exams will be timed and are typically limited to 1.5 hours (90 minutes) with 50 questions. Make-up exams will not be provided. Any missed exam will merit a grade of zero until replaced with the grade earned on the Final Exam. Your exam will be graded immediately and returned to you in Blackboard. Feedback on specific questions will be given after the termination of the Grace Period. You must work alone on all assignments weighted as Tests. This includes Unit Exams and the Final Exam. Cheating on any assignment is not acceptable and will be subject to violations of the Academic Dishonesty Policy. Academic Dishonesty will result in a zero on any assignment. A second incidence of Academic Dishonesty will be handled at the discretion of the Department Chair. There will be a comprehensive Final Exam at the end of the Semester. All students are required to take the Final Exam. Failure to take the Final Exam will result in a failure of the course. Unit Exams are due by 11:00pm (2300) on their respective due dates. Miscellaneous: Reliable Internet access is required for all online courses and many traditional courses. Computer failure and lack of internet access are not acceptable excuses for missed assignments, projects, quizzes, or exams. A lack of preparation on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part. Do not postpone completion of assignments until the last minute. You are expected to attend class as a professional student. This means you are to demonstrate proper hygiene, dress appropriately, and conduct yourself in a professional manner. Disrespect or insubordination will not be tolerated and will result in dismissal from class. I will not discuss your academic progress over the phone. I will not answer emails past 6:30pm (1830) each day and I will not answer emails over the weekend (Friday at 1700 until Sunday at 1500). It is the responsibility of the student to properly withdraw from the course. The withdrawal process will not be initiated by the instructor. It is my policy to NOT give Incompletes as a final course grade. I reserve the right, as the instructor, to change, alter, omit, or add to the tentative course outline and calendar. This course continues to be a "work in progress". Assignments, due dates, etc. can change. Any and all changes will be reflected in Blackboard.