D089: Principles of Economics

Principles of Economics builds foundational economic literacy applicable to any career — the economic way of thinking, microeconomics, and macroeconomics together.

What D089 covers

The course introduces students to foundational economic theories on markets and market behavior, valuable to students pursuing careers involving decision-making. It has three competencies: The Economic Way of Thinking, Microeconomics, and Macroeconomics.

Microeconomics develops the supply-and-demand model, covering elasticity, efficiency, market failure, costs, and market structure. Macroeconomics covers macroeconomic variables, aggregate supply/demand, money, monetary and fiscal policy, and international trade.

The D089 performance assessment

Expect a performance assessment requiring you to apply a microeconomic or macroeconomic model (e.g., supply/demand or fiscal policy) to a specific market or policy scenario.

Key topics in D089

• The economic way of thinking
• Supply and demand (microeconomics)
• Macroeconomic variables and policy
• International trade

Writing tips for D089

Follow the task instructions and rubric line by line

WGU performance assessments for D089 are graded against a fixed rubric — every rubric line has to be visibly addressed, usually with a labeled heading that mirrors the rubric language. Skipping a rubric point because it seems minor is the single most common reason a competent submission comes back "Not Yet Competent" for revision.

Because WGU is self-paced, don't let "no deadline pressure" become no submission

There's no weekly due date forcing progress, which means procrastination costs more at WGU than at a traditional term-based school — a stalled task can quietly eat weeks of a term. Treat your own target date for the D089 assessment as a real deadline.

Ground abstract concepts in a concrete example or case

Gen-ed courses like D089 often reward analysis that's grounded in a specific example, case, or scenario rather than discussing concepts purely in the abstract. Evaluators are checking whether you can apply the concept, not just define it.

Why students seek help with D089

Students sometimes describe an economic concept without applying the actual model to a concrete scenario — the rubric typically wants that model genuinely applied, not defined in the abstract.

How GradeEssays helps with D089

Share your scenario and rubric, and your writer will build a response with the economic model genuinely applied to your specific scenario.

Prerequisites and program context

D089 has no prerequisites.

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