U.S. POLITICS AND THE MACROECO

This book is primarily aimed at business managers, professionals, students, and other interested individuals who would like to gain a greater understanding and appreciation of the political macro-economy. Our presentation, however, does not require a detailed knowledge of advanced macroeconomics. The book covers the main subjects of the political macro-economy, but it is primarily written for a non-academic audience, and has minimal emphasis upon abstract mathematics and overly complex theoretical models. In this book, we examine the interrelation between politics and macroeconomics. Political influences upon macroeconomic policy and performance, as well as the effect of the macro-economy upon various political pressures, are given thorough coverage. This information is useful for understanding and predicting the direction of macroeconomic policy and macroeconomic events. Understanding the political macroeconomic environment provides insights for making successful business decisions, effective personal-finance choices, and becoming a more informed voter. We focus upon the key macroeconomic measurements of real GDP, unemployment, interest rates, and inflation and examine congressional and presidential politics and policy in light of these macroeconomic forces. These macroeconomic issues themselves are examined in the context of mainstream theories and concepts, such as aggregate supply and demand, the expectational Phillips curve, and Okun s law.