Archive for the ‘inflation’ Tag

The Fed’s new dilemma: Protect banks or fight inflation?

3/14/23, The Indicator (9:30)

Link: https://www.npr.org/2023/03/14/1163486839/the-feds-new-dilemma-protect-banks-or-fight-inflation

Teaching Ideas

Summary: February inflation numbers are out and the bottom line is that inflation remains stubbornly high. However, the Fed’s job, laser focused on price stability till now, gets complicated in the aftermath of the SVB collapse. Today’s exercise asks students to debate whether the Fed should pause interest rate hikes as it weighs the tradeoffs between fighting inflation and stressing bank balance sheets.

Unwinding the wage-price spiral   Leave a comment

2/14/23, The Indicator (9:04)

Link: https://www.npr.org/2023/02/14/1156876594/unwinding-the-wage-price-spiral

Summary: New inflation numbers are out.  Inflation is not increasing steadily like it was a few months ago, but it still remains stubbornly high, much higher that Fed’s ideal 2% rate.   Today’s show examines whether the “wage-price spiral”–a feedback loop between rapidly increasing prices and wages like we saw in the 1970s- is still a threat in the macroeconomy. Or are they days of the “doom loop” past us and we are in a wage-price paradigm? 

Link to worksheet

Posted February 27, 2023 by ishanitewari in THE INDICATOR

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Two inflation Indicators: Corporate greed and mortgage rates   Leave a comment

Link: https://www.npr.org/2022/03/23/1088346603/two-inflation-indicators-corporate-greed-and-mortgage-rates

Prices are still rising even though corporate profits are at a 40-year high. However, the rising inflation is not thought to be due to corporate greed but likely to other causes such as lingering pandemic issues and decreased competition in the markets. The Federal Reserve Bank has tried to fight this inflation by raising interest rates which will hopefully lead to less pressure on businesses to raise their prices.

Original Air Date: March 23, 2022

Length: 18 Minutes 27 Seconds

Posted May 5, 2022 by fiorinio in Federal Reserve Bank, macroeconomics

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A locked door, a secret meeting and the birth of the Fed (Classic)   Leave a comment

Link: https://www.npr.org/2021/12/01/1060610393/a-locked-door-a-secret-meeting-and-the-birth-of-the-fed-classic

On this episode from Planet Money, they discuss the events and people that led the creation of the Fed, relevant in 2022 in light of the pressure the Fed is facing in as inflation continues to rise. A quick guide to J.P. Morgan’ s influence and help with founding the Fed so big bailouts no longer had to fall on his pockets.

Original Air Date: December 20, 2013

Length: 17 minutes 10 seconds

Price Controls, Black Markets, And Skimpflation: The WWII Battle Against Inflation   Leave a comment

Link: https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2022/02/08/1078035048/price-controls-black-markets-and-skimpflation-the-wwii-battle-against-inflation

During World War II, when inflation was very high, the United States government took many different actions to fight it including implementing an income tax, rationing, and price ceilings. Today we have the Federal Reserve which means we will hopefully not have to resort to these drastic measures to fix inflation ever again.

Original Air Date: February 8, 2022

Length: 23 Minutes 24 Seconds

Where Does the Money for Stimulus Checks Come From?   Leave a comment

Link: https://www.marketplace.org/shows/make-me-smart-with-kai-and-molly/where-does-the-money-for-stimulus-checks-come-from/

$1.86 trillion in relief spending has been authorized by congress, which will be financed by the sale of government bonds and other debt instruments. The Federal Reserve Bank will purchase many of these bonds which will cause an inflow of money into the economy. This podcast also elaborates on the inflationary implications of the stimulus checks entering the economy.

There is also discussion of Google’s market power and vaccination progress.

Discussion Prompt: What is the intended goal of the stimulus checks and what unintended consequences can arise as a result?

Original Air Date: March 17, 2021

Length: 19 minutes and 34 seconds

The Recession Predictor   Leave a comment

The Recession PredictorLink: https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2018/01/12/577710151/the-recession-predictor

Summary: There appears to be fear that another recession is approaching the United States, but what are the warning signs for the country’s economy? From talks about inflation, interest rates, and borrowing, the yield curve is known to be a powerful and the most accurate predictor of recessions.

Original Air Date: January 12, 2018

Length: 9 minutes 5 seconds

Venezuela’s economy, as told by a hot dog   Leave a comment

venezuelaLink: http://www.marketplace.org/2016/03/21/world/venezuela-hot-dog

Summary: Marketplace breaks down the complexities of the Venezuelan economy using the local pepito as a metaphor to explore inflation and the impacts of an oil-dependent economy.

Original Air Date: March 23, 2016

Length: 3 minutes 16 seconds

Why The Price Of Coke Didn’t Change For 70 Years   Leave a comment

price of cokeLink: http://www.npr.org/sections/money/2015/11/18/456410327/episode-416-why-the-price-of-coke-didnt-change-for-70-years

Summary: The Planet Money team investigates how the price of a Coke was able to stay at 5¢ for 70 years. In finding the explanation, the Planet Money team also considers the reasons for Coke’s global success.

Original Air Date: November 18, 2015

Length: 19 minutes 7 seconds

Posted March 24, 2016 by ndelmonaco1 in Elasticity, Planet Money, Production costs

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How To Make $3 Trillion Disappear   Leave a comment

how to makeLink: http://www.npr.org/sections/money/2015/10/23/451228005/episode-659-how-to-make-3-trillion-disappear

Summary: The Planet Money team discusses the end of quantitative easing – how it works and how it is coming to an end.  A particular focus is how this process will impact commercial banks and their clients.

Original Air Date: October 26, 2015

Length: 15 minutes 25 seconds