What is Gross Domestic Product?
Jordan Power
ECO2013
Mark Thompson
February 1, 2016
What is Gross Domestic Product?
Gross Domestic Product is the total amount of the government’s activity is regards to the economic spending. This amount is a cumulative of four different parts. The four factors involved in Gross Domestic Product are consumption, investment, government spending, and the amount of exports minus the imports. All of these parts make up what Simon Kruznets named Gross Domestic Product in 1937. Kruznets was born in 1901 on April 30 in Pinsk, Russia. Before his death, on July 8th, 1985 in Cambridge, MA, he received his degree from Harvard Law. From there, Kruzets became an economist for the National Bureau of Economic Research. In 1971, Simon Kruznest received a Nobel Prize for his measurement in national income accounting. His innovative involvement in working to create a simplified solution to account for all the government activity was also a major reason for him being awarded with a Nobel Prize. He was not only concerned with the economic growth of the United States, but also that of poor countries. Simon Kruznets found out ways to improve those countries economy based on his findings, regarding the growth and difference of disparity between rich and poor people. During all of this, Kruznets taught economics at Harvard, Johns Hopkins and the University of Pennsylvania. Although Simon Kruznets was a major player in the
Multi-billion dollar corporations pay increasingly less to their workers so that capital will remain high. In today’s society workers cannot depend on making more than they expect because the Canadian capitalist system exploits workers. Many theorists can argue how the middle class cannot reach their dream, almost impossible such as John Kenneth Galbraith, Milton Friedman and John Maynard Keynes. Firstly, Galbraith influenced economic thought in a way that international corporations held the real decision making control in the economy, arguing that middle class individuals should also be considered into the economy to reach their goal of affluence. Additionally, he believed that more government involvement and regulation policies for the economy should be imposed, to help improve society and diminish poverty. For instance, a high production rate in consumer goods including automobiles and televisions in abundance to public goods including schools, hospitals and parks being short in supply. In contrast to Galbraith, Milton Friedman argued against government intervention in the free-market economy, believing that the government intervention resulted in price inflation and increased public debt. Friedman argued the most important way into maintaining a healthy economy for all classes is to regulate the supply of money in circulation known as monetarism. Furthermore, John Maynard Keynes, a historical economist during the Great Depression, recognized the importance of government spending to combat economic downturns including the Great Depression. Keynes explained the importance of investment in maintaining high employment levels and higher rewarding opportunities for middle class
The modern version of GDP was invented by Simon Kuznets. The Gross Domestic Product is the sum of market values, prices of all final goods and services within the United States. In 1930, the Gross Domestic Product growth rate was at a negative eight percent. A negative Gross Domestic Product means that the economy has declining wage growth and less money supply. If the Gross Domestic Product is negative for consecutive years the economy could be in a recession or depression. Between the years of 1929 and 1933 the Growth Domestic Product rate was negative thus meaning we were in a depression. In 1934, the economy was improving and the Gross Domestic Product had grown for the first time in years. It still would take five years for the United States to overcome the depression. At the start of the war the Gross Domestic Product was positive meaning the economy was headed in the right direction. According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis in 1941 the Gross Domestic Product was at seventeen percent the highest in history. It was also the year the United States became fully involved in the war because of the attack on Pearl Harbor. Within the first years of the war labor demand was high. The Gross Domestic Product was at an all-time high because of all the resources being made for war. Factories that were converted after the war allowed for automobiles, appliances, and consumer products to developed and manufactured thus
As the United States moved further away from the immediate economic boom in the final years of the World War and the following several years, its economy showed a major decline. While the country fought one of the biggest wars of all time, defense spending rose to levels as high as 37.8 percent of U.S. gross domestic product (Teslik). World War II was financed through debts and an increase in taxes, and this negatively effected both consumption and investment. Some believed that the war would improve the economy due to the increase in GDP during those years, but at the end of the war, the economic growth fell back to the same trend it had been following during the 1930 's (Institute for Economics and Peace). During the 1960 's, Federal spending soared because the government was attempting to fund new programs such as Medicare, Food Stamps, and various plans to improve the education system (US Department of State). Then, with the war in Vietnam on the horizon, military spending began increasing as well, and the government started spending a surplus of money, since it had to fund both the war on poverty domestically, and the prepare the nation for another war internationally. The government raised taxes throughout the 1950 's and into the 1960 's with income tax rates reaching the high 80% (Top US Tax Rates Over Time, graph). The government was unable to raise enough revenue through taxes, as they had just spent billions of dollars on the Second World War, and inflation
Since the beginning of time people have been affected by their income and ability to accumulate wealth. People live their lives spending or saving money based on their own expectations of what the economy might do. For hundreds of years we have studied how the economic decisions of individuals and governments affect the welfare of society as a whole. John Maynard Keynes introduced a new economic theory that emphasized deficit spending to help struggling economies recover. Keynesian economics revolutionized the traditional thinking in the science of economics. His ideas and theories were deemed radical for his time but were later enacted by some of the largest governments in the world including the United States during the Great Depression. President Franklin Roosevelt enacted the New Deal in an attempt to stimulate the economy through government spending. In this paper I will be giving background to the history economics, the Great Depression, the New Deal, the development of Keynesian Economics. This paper will focus on analyzing the following question: In an attempt to address high unemployment and economic contraction, was Roosevelt’s The New Deal efficacious in stimulating the economy and ending the Great Depression?
In a recently released report entitled GDP Declines Slightly in Fourth Quarter, the United States Department of Commerce and the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) examine recent data trends to provide a detailed advance estimate of the nation's gross domestic product (GDP). A pair of informative graphs is also included within this comprehensive review, with the first illustrating the quarterly growth in real GDP since 2009, and the second depicting annual real GDP growth over the same period of time. Released on January 30th, 2013, the BEA's most recent GDP forecast concludes that real GDP decreased by a rate of 0.1 percent during the fourth quarter of 2012, after a relatively encouraging increase of 3.1 percent during the preceding quarter (Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2013). Among the notable economic trends observed by the BEA in its latest report is a downturn in inventory investment by manufacturing industries, as major retailers struggle to cope with dampened consumer confidence during the prolonged recession (2013) The BEA also finds that government spending was curtailed dramatically, reflecting the Obama administration's commitment to reduce superfluous funding for the defense department.
When it comes to manufacturing, some people might argue that U.S. manufacturing is shrinking and all the jobs are gone into oversea because of what they heard from media or some reasonable stories such a massive job lost in about a decade ago, and the rapid growth of other competitiveness countries like China. Although, there were manufacturing job lost has happened in during the past two decades, it does not mean that it will continue in the future. Baily and Bosworth (2014) stated that, “…what is missed in a focus on a single sector is that job weakness after 2000 was not just a manufacturing issue; employment in the entire US economy went through a negative shift after 2000” (p. 11). Furthermore, manufacturing is one of the most important sector in U.S. economy since it takes a large portion of U.S. gross domestic product. According to “Economy: overview” (2015), “The US has the most technologically powerful economy in the world, with a per capita GDP of $54,800”. About 20.7 percent of the GDP is from the manufacturing industry sector. However, the future of U.S. manufacturing will highly depend on its technological improvement in order to retain in the competiveness global market.
The total economic profits of the fall in oil prices are substantial. It could slightly make GDP growth in the United States go up as well. The GDP is one of the economic indicators. Also, it is not that deflation of oil prices are bad as low gas prices are good for the consumers. However, it is what oil prices may be signaling, and what they might be possibly signaling is the reduction of demand, leading to
The production of countries is compared to one another based on their gross domestic product. A country is said to have economic growth if it has an increase in output. Every quarter of the year, the Bureau of Economic Analysis releases a GDP estimate on the US. This allows for people to see how the US economy is doing, how it’s changing, and predict how it might change in the future. The reports for quarter one, two, and three are all out now for 2014 and it is very interesting so see how the gross domestic product changes through each quarter. The articles I picked to summarize and analyze are each about a certain quarter and are in chronological order.
hiding something behind the actual unemployment rate in America or people in America are still feeling the effects of the 2008 recession. The housing market crash in the fourth quarter of 2008 may still be affecting many families today. Since consumer spending drives two thirds of the economy, according to econoday, it also affects retail sales because when consumers are confident in their economy, there are willing to buy more (Econoday: “Consumer confidence”). This, in turn, affects U.S. retail sales which is also a reflection of the U.S. Gross Domestic Product. These indicators have a chain reaction because when one changes, it affects the rest.
Throughout the nineteenth century many economists have had a great amount of influence on domestic and international policies with the United States (US). With events like the Great Depression, the Post-War Boom, the “stagnant seventies,” and Reaganomic Era, a variety of economists have been able to take part in economic movements and policies. One of the most popular economists was Milton Friedman, who argued in favor of monetarist economics and stabilized policies.
Some years ago, that is, during the 1930's the economy was in great depression. The existing economic theory could not even understand what caused the world to collapse and finding solution to this problem was difficult. Through Keynes general theory which is Employment, Money and Interest, Keynes theory was able to find out the cause of this great depression. By finding the cause of this great depression he was able to change the field of economics which he succeeded in bringing an idea of free markets and that free markets
As far back as history goes, there will always be someone whose sole concern was of their wealth. As nations, governments, and businesses began to develop, so did the ability to satisfy societies wants and needs with goods and services; while still making a profit to further ones wealth. This concern with the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services became known as economics. Many economists have contributed to this study of economics. One of these economists is Adam Smith, who became known as the father of modern economics and the founder of capitalism. From 1726 to 1790, Adam Smith spent his life in Scotland observing his economy. Through his work, Smith proposed that a nation’s wealth should be determined by the total of its production and commerce. Amongst other theories, this one became popularized and is now referred to as the as gross domestic product (GDP).
He was the first American to win the Nobel Prize in 1970 for his work in increasing the analytical level of economics. Some of his conceptual theories and mathematical models that enhanced dynamic economic analysis were revealed preference, the Heckscher-Ohlin-Samuelson model, and the multiplier accelerator model. Many of his contributions also apply directly to welfare economics which was an upcoming economic field during the span of his work.
The monetary value that represents all of the products made in a country is Gross Domestic Product. This figure affects my life right now because the unemployment in the country can be observed by looking at the gap between the GDP per capita and the GDP per person. I can use this information because I am seeking a job. Also, in the future, knowledge of the GDP can be useful because I will want to know my personal productivity compared to the average which is represented by the GDP per employed person. Additionally, the Consumer Price Index is a figure that illustrates the inflation of prices over time. It is determined by the values of the prices of goods that are included in the ‘basket of goods’ which has products that consumers usually
He is the one that came with the idea of Supply and Demand, marginal utility and costs of production