It’s Called “Recovery”, but Where’s the Beef?

Many economists and other analysts have recognized that the recovery from the U.S. economy’s most recent contraction has been unusually weak—weaker, for example, than any other since World War II. But analysts have disagreed in characterizing the current recovery, which according to the National Bureau of Economic Research, the semi-official arbiter of business-cycle chronology, began in mid-2009 after a contraction that had continued for ten quarters. Some aspects of the economy, such as real GDP and consumer spending, have recovered their pre-recession highs and continued to increase.

Employment Does Not Drive Economic Growth

For the head of the Federal Reserve Board Janet Yellen — and most economists — the key to economic growth is a strengthening in the labor market. The strength of the labor market is the key behind the strength of the economy. Or so it is held. If this is the case then it is valid to conclude that changes in unemployment are an important causative factor of real economic growth.

This way of thinking is based on the view that a reduction in the number of unemployed persons means that more people can now afford to boost their expenditures. As a result, economic growth follows suit.

test page

test page content test page contenttest page contenttest page contenttest page contenttest page contenttest page contenttest page contenttest page contenttest page contenttest page contenttest page contenttest page contenttest page contenttest page contenttest page contenttest page content

test sub page

test sub page test sub pagetest sub pagetest sub pagetest sub pagetest sub pagetest sub pagetest sub pagetest sub pagetest sub pagetest sub pagetest sub pagetest sub page test sub pagetest sub pagetest sub pagetest sub pagetest sub pagetest sub pagetest sub pagetest sub pagetest sub pagetest sub pagetest sub pagetest sub page

Why Economic Dependence on Others Is a Good Thing

In public policy discussions, the words independence and dependence make frequent appearances. Given that American political ideology has in many ways been defined by the Declaration of Independence, Americans naturally think of independence as good and dependence as bad. As a consequence, arguments to implement government policies to reduce our dependence on others — dependence on “foreign oil” being the most common current manifestation — often find a receptive audience.