Max Littlejohn

Dr. Max Littlejohn joined the faculty of the Else School of Management as an assistant professor of economics in the fall of 2021. He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and a master’s and PhD in economics from the University of California, Irvine.

Dr. Littlejohn teaches courses across a variety of economic and financial subjects, including microeconomics, macroeconomics, corporate finance, accounting, and money and banking. He views every course as an opportunity to not only introduce students to new economic theories and perspectives, but to also encourage them to develop their own ideas, opinions, and hopefully inspire them to pursue a career in economics, business, or academia.

“While I believe many of the early economic models and most revered theories must be studied as a necessary benchmark, our economy displays such a dynamic and volatile nature that, without a modern perspective, their current applications may lose relevance. It’s imperative for new cohorts of scholars and practitioners to interpret requisite economic theory within a contemporary context so it can effectively be employed in addressing today’s global economy. Considering this, my courses strongly emphasize case studies and analyses surrounding current events, news stories, and policy debates.”

In addition to teaching, Dr. Littlejohn is an active scholar, maintaining a salient research agenda while participating in many academic conferences and serving as a journal referee. His research relies on theory and quantitative methods to explore the relationship between over-the-counter markets for credit, monetary policy, and macroeconomic activity.

“Although some of my previous research projects have focused on debt finance and investment behavior at the corporate level, I also study the markets for small business and consumer finance from empirical and theoretical perspectives. The recent attention drawn to these markets involving both monetary and fiscal policy implementation has emphasized their importance in maintaining an efficient banking sector while promoting a healthy macroeconomy. This also raises many important questions regarding widespread socioeconomic issues, such as wealth inequality and financial exclusion, that demand further investigation.”