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Product Purchases and the Economy

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Product Purchases and the Economy

Jose Velasco

ECO/372

November 9, 2015
Matthew Mulyanto

Product Purchases and the Economy

Macroeconomics is a helpful resource for enabling understanding of factors that affect shifts in supply and demand and pricing of products. Macroeconomics can provide an understanding, for example, of how indicators such as inflation and interest rates can reflect the state of the economy, revealing its relative strengths or weaknesses. Information such as this can be extremely useful in determining whether one should buy a product such as a home, which would necessitate a mortgage and monthly payments.
Economic Indicators and the State of the Economy Two economic indicators that reflect the strength of the economy are the inflation rate and interest rates. A stable and low inflation rate, for instance, is viewed worldwide as a necessary means to keeping the economy strong. Banks worldwide, including the U.S. Federal Reserve, the Bank of Japan, and the European Central Bank have published directives stating their primary objective for monetary policy as being “to maintain price stability” (Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, 2006). Others, such as the Bank of England, the Bank of Canada, and the Central Bank of Chile, have a similar goal to “keep inflation low and stable” (Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, 2006). Maintaining a stable inflation rate allows governments to strengthen their economies by ensuring that monetary policies are able to contribute to rising living standards for all. Public opinion polls reveal that inflation is viewed as one of the most significant national problems (Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, 2006). When allowed to run rampant in an economy, it can be damaging not only economically, but also politically and socially. Interest rates also contribute to

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