Leading vs Lagging Indicators

In terms of the Multiplier, why is Existing Homes Sales (New Homes Sales) a powerful leading indicator of overall future economic activity? Why is it a more meaningful indictor than housing starts?

Unemployment is a lagging indicator

The unemployment rate is a misleading indicator of the current and future state of the economy. How does the timing of lay-off and hiring decisions made by firms explain the misleading characteristic of this indicator?

Standard & Poor's 500 Stock Market Index

Unfortunately, I do not know how Standard & Poor creates the stock market index. I do not know what would be a good index or a weak one. Can anyone either explain this concept or direct me to a website that would explain this?

Standard & Poor's 500 Stock Market Index

What is considered a poor, average, or good index? What kind of scale does Standard & Poor use? Which is better a higher or a lower index? Specifically, what does this score tell us exactly regarding economic growth? Would this information be helpful to a small business that is planning its strategies for the following year?

S & P 500 Stock Market Index

If the S & P 500 Stock Market Index is 879 and declining, what does this mean?

Federal Budget

Should the U.S. federal budget be balanced every year? Wouldn't this depend on the economy?

Monetary and Fiscal Policy - Economic Conditions

Following is a problem that I have to solve: GDP growth is approximately 1.5% and has been at that level for two years. Inflation, as measured by both the CPI and GDP deflator has been at approximately 1-2% for the last two years. Unemployment has recently moved to 7.3%, up from 7% one year ago, and 6.5% two years ago. The ...continues

Continuation of PC46019 Monetary & Fiscal Policy Economic Conditions

This is a continuation the above problem. It appears that we both agree that we have identified the economic conditions as recessionary. It appears that the FRB has already tried to stimulate the economy by lowering interest rates and that has proved unsuccessful; therefore, further reductions would probably be futile. We both a ...continues

General Economics

In recent years, the federal tax that generated the largest percentage of federal tax revenues has been the corporate income tax. social security tax. personal income tax. sales tax Which of the following is a correct l ...continues

General Economics

Three senctence minimum definition on: 1. Complete crowding out 2. Laffer Curve 3. Proportional income tax 4. Cyclical Deficit 5. M1 6. Cash leakage 7. Open Market Operations 8. Reserve requirement 9. Equation o ...continues