Macroeconomics

Overview: GDP? Inflation? Unemployment? You've heard about them on the news, get insight into why they matter here.

Overview: Measuring how many goods and services a country produces is a massive undertaking. This lesson will help you understand how it is done and why it is never perfect.

Overview: Ever hear someone complain about how expensive things are now compared to years ago? That feeling is related to inflation. Learn more about how inflation works and is measured in this lesson.

Overview: The unemployment rate is one of the most important economic measurements used to determine the health of an economy. This lesson explains how it's calculated and why all unemployment is not the same.

Overview: Just like individual markets have supply and demand, there is also supply and demand for an entire country. This concept explains the similarities and differences.

Overview: When something goes up, does it always have to come down? This lesson explains why that saying does usually apply to an economy.

Overview: What is money? Why do people use it? Click here to find out answers to these and more questions about money.

Overview: Both a critically important institution and a complete mystery to many people, the Federal Reserve System is in charge of the U.S. money supply. Click here to learn how the organization operates.

Overview: Once you know what the Federal Reserve is, it's important to understand why they exist. This lesson explains.

Overview: How do you make sure the U.S. has enough money flowing to make transactions, but not too much so that there's not inflation? This lesson explains.

Overview: Ever paid taxes on anything? Ever attended a public school or driven on a highway? If so, you were seeing fiscal policy in action without even thinking about it. This lesson explains how the Government can alter the economy through taxes and spending.

Overview: You hear the words deficit and debt all the time. What's the difference and is one more important than the other? Click here to find out.