preview

Economy And Voter Responsibility Study

Decent Essays

Economy and Voter Responsibility It only takes turning on the local television in Iowa during caucus time to discover the importance economy has on a presidential election. The economy, when good, helps the political party in power win votes. Conversely, during a poor economy, the political party in power has difficulty gathering supporters and gaining momentum. With the upcoming presidential election, the economy is a priority with candidates who are presenting ideas for stabilizing, correcting, and improving the economy. Although for voters to get behind the economic ideas of likely candidates, voters must understand the basics behind the economy. Individuals must understand what defines a stable or declining economy to make sound purchasing, …show more content…

The business cycle expands and contracts as the GDP grows or shrinks. The business cycle includes periods of recession and expansion, and peaks and troughs. Although the business cycle can appear to be a volatile up and down movement, the long term movement of real GDP is generally not affected and reaches upward. In an article by Langelett and Schug (2005), the authors discuss how real GDP and business cycle changes are related. A business cycle begins with an expansion where real GDP is rising and reaches the high point or peak of the expansion (Langelett &Schug, 2005). During this time, individuals and businesses feel comfortable with the current state of the economy and begin spending more. A good economy can last many years although, inevitably, the economy will begin to slow. During times of recession, individuals and business feel uneasy about the future and reduce their spending causing the GDP to decline. The GDP is an important measure for voters to comprehend when deciding between candidates and their economic …show more content…

In all recent elections, the economy has been a major topic for the candidates and public. This opportunity to pick our nation’s leader requires individuals to understand where their candidate feels the economy is headed and how they intend to correct it. GDP is a useful tool to determine, over time, the amount of growth in our economy. As changes occur in the GDP, they are reflected in the business cycle. The business cycle will have ups and downs, although the trend of GDP is typically upward. Without a measurement tool like real GDP, it would be difficult to determine output growth amounts affecting our nation’s decisions. Government policies can be put into place to help stimulate the economy; therefore, voters should consider economic platforms when choosing a presidential candidate to support. It is an exciting time in our nation with the upcoming presidential election and voters should work to understand basic economic terms to ensure they vote for the presidential candidate they believe will positively impact our

Get Access