BU - Business Cycle Flashcards
Business Cycle Phases
General phases: Expansion & Contraction
Peak
Trough
Expansion
increasing gross domestic product (GDP) and decreasing unemployment rate
Contraction
decreasing GDP and increasing unemployment
Peak
very high GDP and peak employment (very low unemployment)
Trough
very low GDP (very typically negative GDP) and by high and widespread unemployment
Gross domestic product (GDP)
the market value of the goods and services produced by labor and property in the United States
Recession
two consecutive quarters of negative GDP growth.
Expansion Activities: Early
Activity rebounds
Credit begins to grow
Profits grow rapidly
Policy still simulative
Inventors low, sales improve
Expansion Activity: Mid
Growth peaking
Credit growth strong
Profits growth peak
Policy neutral
Inventories, sales grow; equilibrium reached
Expansion Activity: Late
Growth moderating
Credit tightens
Earnings under pressure
Policy contractionary
Inventories grow, sales growth falls
- Inflation high
Contraction Activities
Falling activity
Credit dries up
Profits decline
Policy eases
Inventories, sales fall
GDP is important because it
Indicates the pace of growth or decline of the economy relative to history
Determines which sectors are over or under-performing
Can compare the size and growth rate of economies throughout the world
Real GDP Includes and Excludes:
includes:
-Market value of all final goods and services produced within an economy
-Income of foreigners working in the U.S.
-Profits that foreign companies earn in the U.S.
excludes:
-Imports
-Inflation
-Transactions were money changes hands but no new goods or services are produced
-Income of U.S. citizens working abroad
-Profits earned by U.S. companies in foreign countries
GDP Formula
Y = C + I + G + (X – M) or C + I + G + NE
C is consumer spending
I is investment made by industry (fixed investment ad change in private inventory)
G is government spending
X-M is excess of exports over imports
you may see this listed as ‘NE’ for Net Exports
The GDP formula would be listed as C + I + G + NE
- Price elasticity
- Elastic
- Inelastic
- measures the quantity demanded of a good in response to changes in that good’s price.
- A good is elastic when its quantity demanded responds greatly to price changes.
Price goes up, demand downs down
- A good is inelastic when its quantity demanded responds little to price changes (gasoline, consumer staples)
Price goes up, the demand doesn’t change