The non-economist s accessible pocket-sized refresher on the basics of macroeconomics and how
it affects the local and global economies! Macroeconomics takes a broad perspective on the
economy of a country or region it studies economic changes in the aggregate collecting data
on production unemployment inflation consumption investment trade and other aspects of
national and international economic life. Policymakers depend on macroeconomists knowledge when
making decisions about such issues as taxes and the public budget monetary and exchange rate
policies and trade policies all of which in turn affect decisions made by individuals and
businesses. This volume in the MIT Press Essential Knowledge series offers an introduction to
the basics of macroeconomics accessible to the non-economist. Readers will gain the tools to
interpret such economic events as the 2008 financial meltdown the subsequent euro crisis and
the current protectionist dynamics seen in some developed countries. You ll also learn about:
Economic development why some countries flourish while others reamin stagnant Economic activity
and employment Employment and unemployment rates The factors behind economic growth Money
inflation and exchange rate systems Fiscal deficits fiscal policy and balance of payment
crises Consumption savings and investment decisions The process of globalization and its
macroeconomic implications Written by an academic economist and two-time Chilean Finance
Minister this is an easy-to-understand and pocket-sized guide to the fundamentals of
macroeconomics.
