ECONOMICS U$A

Episodes

1.RESOURCES AND SCARCITY
Investigates how America has faced important economic tradeoffs in areas of wilderness preservation, worker health protection, and war production.

2.MARKETS AND PRICES
An examination of America's free-market pricing system under the powerful forces of supply and demand.

3.U.S. ECONOMIC GROWTH
The real story behind the numbers. The birth of GNP - its greatest achievement and its most important failure.

4.BOOMS AND BUSTS
Good times followed by bad times. America's roller coaster economy is explained.

5.JOHN MAYNARD KEYNES
An introduction to Keynesian Economics and the secret to ending the Great Depression.

6.FISCAL POLICY
An examination of government, taxing, and spending policies.

7.INFLATION
Vietnam and The Great Society. Their impact on inflation and why it is so hard to control. Replacing the case study on the "Cost of Living Adjustments" with a case study on "Can Inflation Be Controlled?".

8.THE BANKING SYSTEM
An investigation of the significance and vulnerability of America's banking system.

9.THE BANKING SYSTEM
An investigation of the significance and vulnerability of America's banking system.

10.FEDERAL RESERVE
The rise of monetary policy. Government's second weapon in its arsenal of economic controls. Updating the story of Greenspan and the 1987 market crash with the latest two market crises (1998/2001).

11.STAGFLATION
Government's failure to beat the high unemployment and high inflation of the 1970s is revealed. Updated to include a case study that addresses the question of whether we can still control inflation as we enter the 21st Century.

12.PRODUCTIVITY
The cause of America's great productivity slide is examined as well as the solutions suggested by supply-side economists.

13.PRODUCTIVITY
The cause of America's great productivity slide is examined as well as the solutions suggested by supply-side economists.

14.FEDERAL DEFICITS
A revealing examination of the good, the bad and the ugly side of deficits.

15.MONETARY POLICY
Case studies of three Federal Reserve Chairmen are presented as they attempt to fight inflation and unemployment through the application of monetary policy. New case studies have been added that update the story of how Alan Greenspan dealt with the 1987 market crash with two more recent market crises of 1998 and 2001.

16.MONETARY POLICY
Case studies of three Federal Reserve chairman as they attempt to fight inflation, and unemployment through the application of monetary policy.

17.STABILIZATION POLICY
Attempts to examine and assess, from different perspectives, the future of government's involvement in the economy.

18.THE FIRM
An investigation into the economic factors behind Coke's secret formula change and the phenomenal success of the "Asbury Park Press."

19.SUPPLY AND DEMAND
The potent forces of supply and demand are revealed through the great California drought, the Arab oil embargo and the designer jeans craze.

20.PERFECT COMPETITION AND INELASTIC DEMAND
The inside story of America's farm problem - from the 20s to the 80s.

21.ECONOMIC EFFICIENCY
A demonstration of the effects of wage, prices and rent controls in the free market economy.

22.MONOPOLY
The stories of Standard Oil and AT&T demonstrate the power and importance of monopolies. A new case study has been added addressing the Justice Department case against Microsoft.

23.OLIGOPOLIES
Investigates the ways and means of big business as they attempt to avoid price competition.

24.POLLUTION
An examination of problems behind private industry and government's attempt to clean up the environment. A new case study describes the case of the US failure to sign the Kyoto Accords and the conflicts with other global warming agreements.

25.LABOR & MANAGEMENT
The change in labor movement relations from the turn of the century to the 1980s.

26.PROFITS AND INTEREST
An investigation into how banks, big business and little entrepreneurs act to maximize profit.Reducing Poverty: What Have We Done?

27.REDUCING POVERTY
Investigates the social security, family assistance and job corps programs.

28.ECONOMIC GROWTH
The factors behind America's phenomenal economic growth.

29.PUBLIC GOODS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
TVA, national health care and California's tax revolt demonstrate the role of government in our lives.

30.INTERNATIONAL TRADE
Investigates the benefits of free trade to society in general and the problems and justifications for trying to restrict international trade. A new case study on the Macquilladoras and NAFTA demonstrates some of the issues surrounding international trade.

31.EXCHANGE RATES
The effect of fixed and floating exchange rates on America's domestic and international economy.