Topics related to aggregate economic measures, the role of the U.S. government and its policies, financial markets, and monetary policy.
Gross Domestic Product (GDP): Measuring the Nation’s Output
GDP is one of the key measures of a nation’s economic performance. This DataPost outlines the components of GDP and places these components within the context of recent values published by the Bureau of Economic Analysis.
Inflation: Measuring Price Changes
This DataPost tutorial looks at the Fed’s key measure of inflation—the Personal Consumption Expenditures Price Index—including how it relates to the concepts of “core” and “total” inflation in the U.S. economy.
The Money Supply: Measuring M1 & M2
“Money” actually includes various forms of payment—not just coins, bills, credit, and checks. This DataPost tutorial walks through the various types of payment that contribute to our notion of “money” in the United States.
Unemployment Rate: Measuring the Workforce
Learn about how the unemployment rate is measured, broader measures of unemployment, and three types of unemployment: structural, cyclical, and frictional.
Government Spending: Measuring Federal Expenditures
See how government spending has expanded in recent years and how spending dollars have compared across various functions, like education, national defense, and income security.