Economic Factors Flashcards
Business cycle
recurring pattern of four phases of economic activity
business cycle - expansion (growth/recovery)
characterized by an increase in business activity, production, demand and employment
money is borrowed to further expansion causing interest rates to rise
business cycle - peak
characterized by demand rising over supply for goods and services resulting in inflation
with rise of prices, demand slows
business cycle - contraction (decline/recession)
decreased demand results in increasing unemployment which futhers the decrease in demand. inflation will typically slow and then deflate
business cycle - trough
bottom of the economic decline
eventually, decreased prices stimulate demand and the economy will experience a period of recovery and expansion
recession
when real GDP declines for two consecutive quarters
depression
extended and severe decline in economic activity
fiscal policy
adjustment of government spending through tax rates, interest rates, and government spending in order to control the economy
controlled by president and congress
monetary policy
adjustment of supply of money and credit, which affects interest rates, in order to control the economy, inflation specifically
controlled by FRB
Keynesian economic theory
states that economic intervention by government is necessary to sustain growth and stability
counter crises by increasing government deficit spending
criticism of keynes
created long-term deficit spending and unintended consequences of government interference
supply-side economics
stress reduced taxes and government to promote economic growth
smaller government requires less tax money and lower tax rates leave people with more money to spend and invest, stimulating economic activity
Leading indicators
indicators that change before an upward or downward trend in the economy
used to predict trends in economic activity in the near future
coincident indicators
change simultaneously with economic trends and mirror current state of economic activity
lagging indicators
change after an upward or downward trend in the economy and confirm long-term trends in economic activity
inflation
rate at which the general level of prices is rising and therefore, purchasing power is falling
occurs when demand for goods and services rises faster than the supply of goods and services
deflation
rate at which the general level of prices is declining
exists when the supply for goods and services is greater than the demand for goods and services and therefore prices are lowered to account for limited demand
stagflation
extended period where stagnation (slow economic growth and unemployment) is accompanied with inflation
relatively infrequent because high unemployment is usually characterized by low inflation or deflation and low unemployment is usually characterized by increasing inflation
GDP
economic measure of the monetary value of all goods and services produced by labor and property within a country’s borders regardless of producer origin
used to gauge a nation’s economic health and standard of living
increases indicate economic growth and potential inflation
3 Components of balance of payments
current account, capital account, financial account
balance of payment - current account
flow of goods and services
balance of payment - capital account
transfers of capital
balance of payment - financial account
investment inflows and outflows
inflation or purchasing-power risk
risk that the inflation rate will be higher than the interest rate that a bondholder receives over the life of the bond