Booms and Busts
A 5-lesson introduction to economic growth and business cycles
Booms and Busts
In this course:
1. Learn basic macroeconomic concepts like economic growth, inflation, and monetary and fiscal policy.
2. Learn the causes and consequences of business cycles.
You don’t have to be an economist to notice that our economy experiences some pretty big swings. We hear in the news all the time about how stock markets are up or down, and a slew of commentators try to pinpoint the precise causes. At family gatherings, you may hear somebody blame their inability to get a job or their struggling business on ‘the economy’.
If you’re unsatisfied with this abstract language, this course is for you. We’ll start from scratch and see how an economy works in its fundamentals, like production; consumption; saving; interest and more, and we’ll make the causes of economic growth, economic decline and business cycles more clear. You’ll learn that when we save and invest resources for production, our economy can grow. When we use monetary policy that makes it look like we are saving, things go awry.
FEE Courses
Course Overview
Micro and Macro
What are Business Cycles?
Introduction
Watch Video
The Problem of Production
Read Article
Comparative Advantages
Read Article
Other Views
Match the terms!
Lesson Recap
Extra Resources
Introduction
Watch Video
Two Kinds of Banking Systems
Watch Video
Inflation and Deflation
Watch Video
Other Views
Match the terms!
Lesson Recap
Introduction
Read Article
Interest Rates and Time Preference
Watch Video
Real Saving vs. Fake Saving
Watch Video
Other Views
Lesson Quiz
Lesson Recap
Introduction
Austrian Business Cycle Theory
Watch Video
The Great Boom and Bust
Watch Video
Other Views
Lesson Quiz
Lesson Recap
Introduction
Does Government Spending Boost the Economy?
Read Article
Creating Value, Not Just Work
Watch Video
Government Spending and Government Debt
Watch Video
Lesson Quiz
Lesson Recap
Course Summary