Macroeconomics Research Project

Macroeconomics

Research Project
Each question asks you to visit at least one web site. Links are given as first-choice
suggestions. If the exact link does not get you the answer you need, continue with the
question by searching for the updated link, or an equivalent site. Although one link is
given, you may need to do a little investigation on your own to completely answer the
question. Make sure to cite all sources that you use.
(1) Visit the website of the Federal Trade Commission https://www.ftc.gov/aboutftc/bureaus-offices/bureau-consumer-protection. Go to the section on consumer
protection and summarize the work of the eight divisions involved in consumer
protection. Which do you think is the most important and why?
(2) Visit both the Republicans’ http://www.rnc.org/ and the Democrats’
http://www.democrats.org/ websites. Identify an economic issue that both parties address,
and compare and contrast their views on that issue. Generally speaking, how much of the
disagreement is based on normative economics compared to positive economics? Give an
example of loaded terminology from each site.
(3) Go to the Department of commerce website, www.commerce.gov . Go to News,
click on U.S. Economy at a Glance then scroll to the section on Unite States and the
World review the balance of trade data to determine whether it was favorable or
unfavorable in the past two quarters. What were the reasons for the result and your
analysis?
(4) Go to the Bureau of Economic Analysis website at www.bea.gov. Scroll down
under Principal Federal Economic Indicators click the View button next to International
Trade in Goods and Services. Review the data and summarize the reasons given for the
variations between the last two quarters.
(5) Go to the website of the Bureau of Labor statistics www.bls.gov. Go to the top of
the page click on Data and then by Topic, go to Employment then click on Employment
by State. You can use the Interactive Data tab and the interactive tables or interactive
maps you can also look at What is Employment by State on the left-hand side. Identify
the three states with the highest increases in employment and unemployment in the
report. What do you consider the main causes?
(6) Go to the website of the US Treasury www.treasury.gov . Summarize the mission
and the role of the Treasury. Click on the data, go to How your money is Spent. Review
the website. What are some spending items that stick out and how is the government
spending your money?
(7) Visit the Office of Management and Budget www.whitehouse.gov . On the issues
tab go to the section on taxes and summarize three recent measures on taxation.