INTRODUCTION
1
,ChapterVOutline
• IntroductionVtoVmacroeconomics
• TheVlongVrunVandVshortVrun
• EconomicVmodelsVandVtheVrealVworld
• AVfirstVlookVatVtheVAD-ASVframework
• UnemploymentVandVinflation
• ActualVandVpotentialVGDP
• EconomicVcycles
• RecessionsVandVeconomicVslumps
ChangesVfromVtheVPreviousVEdition
AVfewVminorVmodificationsVhaveVbeenVmadeVtoVChapterV1.VAllVfiguresVinvolvingVdataVhaveVb
eenVupdated,VasVhaveVTableV1-1VandVSectionV1-3V(theVpreviewVofVtheVtext).VNewVFigureV1-
10VandVtwoVnewVparagraphsVexplainingVtheVdistinctionVbetweenVaVrecessionVandVaVslumpVha
veVbeenVaddedVtoVSectionV1-
2.VAllVofVtheVsubsequentVfiguresVhaveVbeenVrenumbered.VFinally,VhereVandVthroughoutVtheVr
estVofVtheVtextbookVeachVboxVhasVbeenVlabeledVeitherV"HistoryVSpeaks"VorV"WhatVMoreVDoVW
eVKnow?"VtoVletVstudentsVknowVwhatVtheyVcanVexpectVtoVlearnVfromVtheseVmaterials.
IntroductionVtoVtheVMaterial
ChapterV1VprovidesVanVoverviewVofVtheVkeyVconceptsVcoveredVinVtheVtextbook.VItValsoVoutlin
esVtheVdifferentVtimeVframesVthatVareVusedVtoVdescribeVtheVeconomyVinVtheVaggregate.VTheVv
eryVlong-
runVmodelVfocusesVonVtheVgrowthVofVproductiveVcapacityVandVignoresVfluctuationsVinVemploy
mentVandVoutput.VThisVisVimportantVwhenVtryingVtoVexplainVwhyVsomeVcountriesVhaveVhigherV
averageVgrowthVratesV(andVthusVhigherVlivingVstandards)VthanVothers.VInVtheVlongVrun,Vfluctu
ationsVinVdemandVrelativeVtoVtheVlevelVofVproductiveVcapacityVdetermineVtheVlevelVofVprices.VB
utVinVtheVveryVshortVrun,VtheVlevelVofVoutputVisVdeterminedVbyVaggregateVdemandValone,Vwhi
leVpricesVareVnotVaffectedVbyVchangesVinVaggregateVdemand.VTheVmediumVrunVdescribesVthe
VtransitionVbetweenVtheVshortVrunVandVtheVlongVrun.VInVthisVcase,VeconomicVpoliciesVorVdistu
rbancesVaffectVtheVratesVofVinflationVandVunemploymentVsimultaneously,VandVtheVspeedVatV
whichVpricesVadjustVisVcriticalVforVanalyzingVtheVeffectsVofVtheVdisturbancesVorVpolicyVchanges
.
TheVbehaviorVofVtheVeconomyVcanVbeVanalyzedVusingVtheVAD-
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,ASVmodel.VThreeVdifferentVAS-
VcurvesVareVpresentedVhere,VeachVdescribingVaVdifferentVtimeVframe:VtheVverticalVAS-
curveVdescribesVtheV veryV longV run,V theV horizontalV AS-
curveV describesV theV veryV shortV run,V andV theV upward-sloping
3
, AS-curveVdescribesVtheVmediumVrun.VTheVAD-
ASVframeworkVisVaVveryVsimplifiedVrepresentationVofVtheVrealVworldVthatVcannotVdescribeVth
eVbehaviorVofVallVpeopleVandVenterprisesVinVanVeconomy.VHowever,VitVservesVveryVwellVtoV
explainVhowVeconomicVdisturbancesVaffectVoutput,Vemployment,VandVprices,VandVhowVpolici
esVcanVbeVusedVtoVmitigateVeconomicVdisturbances.
ToVunderstandVtheVbehaviorVofVtheVeconomyVasVaVwhole,VstudentsVmustVlearnVsomeVbasi
cVconcepts.VAmongVtheVmajorVconceptsVpresentedVinVChapterV1VisVGDP,VthatVis,VtheVmarketV
valueVofVallVfinalVgoodsVandVservicesVcurrentlyVproducedVinVaVcountryVoverVaVcertainVtimeVper
iod.VAVnation'sVGDPVchangesVasVtheVamountVofVavailableVresourcesVandVtheVefficiencyVwithVw
hichVtheseVresourcesVareVusedVchanges.VSinceVtheVlevelVofVnominalVGDPVcanVchangeVsimplyV
dueVtoVinflationVorVaVchangeVinVpopulation,VrealVGDPVperVcapitaVisVoftenVusedVasVaVmeasureVfo
rVtheVstandardVofVlivingVinVaVcountry.VButVevenVrealVGDPVperVcapitaVisVnotVaVperfectVmeasureV
forVpeople'sVwelfareVsinceVitVdoesVnotVtakeVintoVconsiderationVsuchVthingsVasVchangesVinVtheV
distributionVofVincome,VenvironmentalVquality,VorVleisureVactivities.
TheVperformanceVofVanVeconomyVisVgenerallyVjudgedVbyVthreeVbroadVmeasures:VtheVgro
wthVrateVofVoutput,VtheVunemploymentVrate,VandVtheVinflationVrate.VTheVtrendVpathVofVoutp
utVisVtheVpathVthatVrealVGDPVwouldVtakeVifVallVfactorsVofVproductionVwereVfullyVemployedV(al
soVknownVasVpotentialVGDP).VActualVGDPVgenerallyVtendsVtoVbeVbelowVthisVtrendVpath,Vsince
VinVmostVyearsVtheVfactorsVofVproductionVareVnotVfullyVemployed.VTheVoutputVgapVmeasuresV
theVsizeVofVtheseVcyclicalVdeviationsVandVisVdefinedVasVtheVgapVbetweenVpotentialVGDPVandVac
tualVGDP.VThisVgapVgrowsVduringVrecessionsVwhenVunemploymentVincreases.VInVperiodsVofVex
ceptionalVgrowth,VlikeVinVtheVlateV1990s,VactualVGDPVcanVbecomeVlargerVthanVpotentialVGDP,
VsoVtheVGDPVgapVcanVactuallyVbecomeVnegative.VSectionV1-
2VdiscussesVhowVinflation,Vgrowth,VandVunemploymentVareVrelatedVthroughVeconomicVcycles,
VthatVis,VpatternsVofVexpansionVandVcontractionVinVeconomicVactivityVaroundVtheVtrendVpathV
ofVGDP.VAVdistinctionVisVmadeVbetweenVaVrecessionVasVitVisVofficiallyVdefinedVandVanVeconom
icVslump.
KnowingVtheVspeedVwithVwhichVpricesVadjustVisVcriticalVinVunderstandingVtheVworkingsVof
VtheVeconomy,VandVmuchVeconomicVresearchVisVdevotedVtoVthisVsubject.VTheVPhillipsVcurveVs
howsVanVempiricalVrelationshipVbetweenVchangesVinVinflationVandVtheVunemploymentVrateVin
VtheVmediumVrun.VTheVquestionVofVwhetherVthereVisVaVusefulVtrade-
offVbetweenVunemploymentVandVinflationVisVofVconsiderableVimportanceVforVtheVimplementat
ionVofVmacroeconomicVstabilizationVpolicies,VandVthereVisVmuchVcontroversyVamongVeconomi
stsVaboutVtheVusefulnessVofVtheVPhillips-curve.
SuggestionsVforVLecturing
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