GDP
the total market value of all final goods and services produced within a country within a given period of time
Y= C= I= G= NX=
GDP, consumption, investment, government purchases, net exports
GPD per capita
a measure of a country's economic output that accounts for its number of people. It divides the country's GDP by its total population
Peak
the height of an economic expansion, when real GDP stops rising
Recession
period of reduced economic activity
Trough
Lowest point of a wave
expansion
A period of economic growth as measured by a rise in real GDP
frictional unemployment
unemployment that occurs when people take time to find a job
structural unemployment
unemployment resulting from industrial reorganization, typically due to technological change, rather than fluctuations in supply or demand.
cyclical unemployment
unemployment that rises during economic downturns and falls when the economy improves
seasonal unemployment
unemployment that occurs as a result of harvest schedules or vacations, or when industries slow or shut down for a season
progressive tax
A tax for which the percentage of income paid in taxes increases as income increases
proportional tax
A tax in which the average tax rate is the same at all income levels.
regressive tax
A tax for which the percentage of income paid in taxes decreases as income increases
Ability to pay
principle of taxation based on belief that taxes should be paid according to level of income regardless of benefits received
benefits received
A concept of tax fairness that states that people should pay taxes in proportion to the benefits they receive from government goods and services.
budget deficit
a shortfall of tax revenue from government spending
budget surplus
an excess of tax revenue over government spending
fiscal policy
Government policy that attempts to manage the economy by controlling taxing and spending. Managed by president and congress
monetary policy
Government policy that attempts to manage the economy by controlling the money supply and thus interest rates. Managed by the FEDS
national debt
the total amount of money that a country's government has borrowed, by various means.
The Central bank of America is called
The federal reserve
expansionary policy
a fiscal policy used to encourage economic growth, often through increased spending or tax cuts
contractionary policy
a fiscal policy used to reduce economic growth, often through decreased spending or higher taxes
Protectionism
Economic policy of shielding an economy from imports.
Imports Quotas
limits on the number of a product that can be imported
exchange rate
The measure of how much one currency is worth in relation to another.
trade deficit
An excess of imports over exports
trade surplus
when a country exports more than it imports
strong dollar
the value of the dollar is more than that of other countries, foreign goods are less expensive
weak dollar
the value of the dollar is less than that of other countries, foreign goods are more expensive
what goods should a country export
If countries specialize and make the goods, they have comparative advantage in, then trade and the world ends up with more
absolute advantage
the ability to produce a good using fewer inputs than another producer