Macroeconomics (2024)

The study of the aggregate economy

Written byCFI Team

Updated April 3, 2023

What is Macroeconomics?

Macroeconomics refers to the study of the overall performance of the economy. While microeconomics studies how individual people make decisions, macroeconomics deals with the overall aggregate effect of microeconomics. Macroeconomics is crucial for the government to understand and predict the long-term consequences of their decisions.

Macroeconomics (1)

Summary

  • Macroeconomics refers to the study of the aggregate economy.
  • The primary goals of macroeconomics are to achieve stable economic growth and maximize the standard of living.
  • Economic indicators are a good source of information to track macroeconomic performance.
  • Monetary policy and fiscal policy are tools used by the government to control economic performance and reach macroeconomic goals.

Goals of Macroeconomics

The overarching goals of macroeconomics are to maximize the standard of living and achieve stable economic growth. The goals are supported by objectives such as minimizing unemployment, increasing productivity, controlling inflation, and more. The macroeconomy of a country is affected by many forces, and as such, economic indicators are invaluable to assessing different aspects of performance.

Economic Indicators

1. Gross Domestic Product (GDP)

Often used as the primary indicator of macroeconomics, absolute GDP represents the economy’s size at a point in time. GDP is usually calculated and released by the government on a quarterly or annual basis.

Macroeconomics (2)

As a rule of thumb, spending stimulates growth. Individual consumer consumption drives businesses, business investments promote growth, and government spending maintains social welfare. Net exports, as calculated by (exports – imports), measures trade. Positive net exports represent a trade surplus, while negative net exports represent a trade deficit.

Economic growth can be calculated by comparing GDP over time, such as year-over-year increases.

2. Inflation

Inflation is the increase of overall price levels and consequently the decrease in purchasing power. It occurs primarily due to increased demand for products and services, which, in turn, raises prices. Inflation, therefore, represents growth.

However, too much inflation is also harmful if purchasing power decreases much more than inflated prices, decreasing overall spending and devaluing the currency. The target inflation rate is usually around 1% to 3%.

3. Unemployment

Unemployment accounts for individuals who are jobless and are actively seeking one. Individuals who are retired or disabled are not included as unemployed. Unemployment is a natural occurrence and cannot be completely eliminated. We can distinguish unemployment into different categories:

Macroeconomics (3)

  • Frictional unemployment occurs when individuals spend time searching for a job.
  • Structural unemployment occurs when jobs are eliminated due to economic structural changes.
  • Cyclical unemployment occurs due to fluctuations in the business cycle.

The sum of frictional and structural is called natural unemployment. It arises from everyday events, such as individuals changing jobs or industries shrinking from a decline in demand.

The sum of natural unemployment and cyclical unemployment represents the actual unemployment. Naturally, in recessions, employees are laid off, and in times of prosperity, employment rates skyrocket.

Since employment is directly related to economic output, it is a good indicator of economic conditions. Actual unemployment is useful to gauge the economy’s short-term conditions, while natural unemployment can identify trends in the long term.

4. Interest Rates

Interest rates are the return the borrower pays from lending. They are set by the central bank – the Federal Reserve in the U.S. and the Bank of Canada in Canada. Because interest rates influence consumer decisions, it is a very useful tool for influencing economic activity.

When interest rates are high, borrowing becomes more expensive, so consumers are incentivized to reduce spending. Conversely, when interest rates are low, it is cheaper to borrow, so consumers will be incentivized to spend more.

How Does the Government Influence the Macroeconomy?

Monetary Policy

Implemented by central banks, monetary policy is an action that influences money supply and interest rates. The central bank can set interest rate targets for direct results. Money supply also affects the interest rate, with increased supply usually lowering interest rates (negative correlation). As previously mentioned, interest rates influence consumer consumption and investment. There are two types of monetary policy:

1. Expansionary Monetary Policy

In times of economic slump, the government can encourage economic growth by implementing an expansionary monetary policy. They purchase securities from the open market and ease reserve requirements to increase the money supply, and on the other hand, lowering the interest rate target.

2. Contractionary Monetary Policy

In economic booms, high inflation rates in the long term can spell trouble by reducing purchasing power. To cool down inflation, the government can decrease the money supply and increase interest rates by selling securities on the open market, tightening reserve requirements, and increasing the interest rate target.

Fiscal Policy

The government implements fiscal policy through spending and taxes to guide the macroeconomy. Government spending influences job creation and infrastructure improvements, which, in turn, affects money in circulation. Taxes affect consumer disposable income. Fiscal policy is also segmented into two types:

1. Expansionary Fiscal Policy

To increase inflation, governments increase spending to increase money in circulation or cut taxes, so consumers have more money to spend.

2. Contractionary Fiscal Policy

To ease inflation, governments decrease spending to reduce money in circulation or increase taxes. As a result, money available for consumers to spend becomes less.

More Resources

Thank you for reading CFI’s guide to Macroeconomics. To keep advancing your career, the additional CFI resources below will be useful:

Macroeconomics (2024)

FAQs

Macroeconomics? ›

Macroeconomics is the study of whole economies--the part of economics concerned with large-scale or general economic factors and how they interact in economies.

What is macroeconomics in simple words? ›

Macroeconomics is the study of whole economies--the part of economics concerned with large-scale or general economic factors and how they interact in economies.

What is the 3 main goal of macroeconomics? ›

In macroeconomics three of these goals receive extra focus: economic growth, price stability and full employment. Economic growth refers to a nation's ability to produce more goods and services over time.

What are 4 examples of macroeconomics? ›

What Are Some Examples of Macroeconomic Factors? Macroeconomic factors include inflation, fiscal policy, employment levels, national income, and international trade.

What does macroeconomics study? ›

Economists also look at two realms. There is big-picture macroeconomics, which is concerned with how the overall economy works. It studies such things as employment, gross domestic product, and inflation—the stuff of news stories and government policy debates.

Is macro economics hard? ›

AP Macroeconomics is considered quite easy, with class alumnae rating it 4.6/10 for overall difficulty (the 19th-most-difficult out of the 28 large AP classes surveyed). The pass rate is lower than other AP classes, with 51% graduating with a 3 or higher.

Is macroeconomics a math class? ›

Economics is not math, but rather math is a tool for presenting and manipulating/exploring/using economic models. Many economic models use math to explain cause and effect. Don't worry, though, we're going to cover all the math you need to solve the problems in this course.

Why do we study macroeconomics? ›

Macroeconomics helps to evaluate the resources and capabilities of an economy, churn out ways to increase the national income, boost productivity, and create job opportunities to upscale an economy in terms of monetary development.

What is 1 the main goal of macroeconomic? ›

The primary goals of macroeconomics are to achieve stable economic growth and maximize the standard of living.

How is macroeconomics used in everyday life? ›

Macroeconomists try to forecast economic conditions to help consumers, firms, and governments make better decisions: Consumers want to know how easy it will be to find work, how much it will cost to buy goods and services in the market, or how much it may cost to borrow money.

How is macroeconomics used in real life? ›

Macroeconomics helps us understand how and why the government gets involved financially in the nation's economy, like whether they increase or decrease our taxes, or whether they change the Medicare insurance and premiums.

What is a real life example of microeconomics? ›

Here are some examples of microeconomics: How a local business decides to allocate their funds. How a city decides to spend a government surplus. The housing market of a particular city/neighborhood.

Is microeconomics a hard class? ›

As mentioned previously, AP Microeconomics course material was designed to mimic an introductory college-level course, so it will certainly be more difficult than a standard high school class. Students unfamiliar with economic topics — or how to work with data — may find it challenging.

What are the 3 types of macroeconomics? ›

Three types of macroeconomic policies are as follows:
  • Fiscal policy.
  • Monetary Policy.
  • Supply side policies.

What are the 7 schools of thought in macroeconomics? ›

These are: the Keynesian school of macroeconomics; the monetarist school; the New Classical school; the New-Keynesian school; supply side macroeconomics, and `non-monetary' models of macroeconomics - the real business cycle theory and the 'structuralist school' which views changes in unemployment as the outcome of ...

What is the easiest way to learn macroeconomics? ›

Review these steps to help you discover how you can learn about economics without schooling:
  1. Watch instructional lectures. ...
  2. Complete massive open online courses (MOOC) ...
  3. Read economics books. ...
  4. Research economics articles. ...
  5. Discuss concepts with economics professionals. ...
  6. Join learning communities.
Mar 10, 2023

What math is macroeconomics? ›

While the macroeconomics prior to the 'Lucas Critique' only made limited use of calculus, contemporary macro theory is best described as applied calculus.

How do you pass macroeconomics? ›

The following strategies for answering the free-response questions will help you on exam day.
  1. Take advantage of the 10-minute planning time. ...
  2. Remember that you may answer the questions in any order. ...
  3. Don't restate the question. ...
  4. Use correct terminology. ...
  5. Use graphs wisely. ...
  6. Label graphs clearly, correctly, and fully.

Is economics math heavy? ›

Math and statistics are used in economics, but at the undergraduate degree level, the math and statistics are certainly not overwhelming. Economics majors are usually required to take one statistics course and one math course (usually an introductory calculus course).

Is there calculus in macroeconomics? ›

Economics courses frequently use math techniques at a level beyond MATH 1110. Statistics and econometrics classes use material from integral calculus (MATH 1120), and core microeconomics, core macroeconomics, and many advanced electives use material from multivariable calculus (MATH 2130 or MATH 2220).

Is microeconomics math heavy? ›

Microeconomics can be, but is not necessarily, math-intensive. Fundamental microeconomic assumptions about scarcity, human choice, rationality, ordinal preferences or exchange do not require any advanced mathematical skills.

What are the 4 pillars of macroeconomics? ›

The key pillars of macroeconomic policy are: fiscal policy, monetary policy and exchange rate policy. This brief outlines the nature of each of these policy instruments and the different ways they can help promote stable and sustainable growth.

What are the golden rules of macroeconomics? ›

An approach to optimum saving is to find the saving rate that maximizes consumption per capita in the steady state. This saving rate is the “golden-rule” saving rate. A lower saving rate would reduce long-run steady-state consumption per capita, but would imply higher consumption in the short run.

Why is macroeconomics so hard to teach? ›

Macroeconomics is difficult to teach partly because its theorists (classical, Keynesian, monetarist, New Classical and New Keynesian, among others) disagree about so much. It is difficult also because the textbooks disagree about so little.

Who is the father of economics? ›

Adam Smith was an 18th-century Scottish philosopher. He is considered the father of modern economics. Smith is most famous for his 1776 book, "The Wealth of Nations."

What are the two major branches of economics? ›

There are two main branches of economics, microeconomics, and macroeconomics. Microeconomics deals with the behavior of individual households and firms and how that behavior is influenced by government. Macroeconomics is concerned with economy-wide factors such as inflation, unemployment, and overall economic growth.

What are the 4 objectives of macroeconomics? ›

High and sustainable economic growth. Price stability. Full employment. Balance of payments equilibrium.

What is the formula for GDP? ›

GDP = private consumption + gross private investment + government investment + government spending + (exports – imports).

What is the difference between microeconomics and macroeconomics? ›

Microeconomics is the study of economics at an individual, group, or company level. Whereas, macroeconomics is the study of a national economy as a whole. Microeconomics focuses on issues that affect individuals and companies. Macroeconomics focuses on issues that affect nations and the world economy.

What are 2 reasons why macroeconomics is important? ›

Macroeconomics connects together the countless policies, resources, and technologies that make economic development happen. Without proper macro management, poverty reduction and social equity aren't possible.

Are taxes macro or micro? ›

Key Terms to Know. Microeconomics is the study of individual and business decisions regarding the allocation of resources and prices of goods and services. The term also considered taxes, regulations, and government legislation.

How does macroeconomics solve problems? ›

Macroeconomics helps in suggesting policy measures to control inflation and deflation. It explains the factors affecting the balance of payment. It also identifies causes of deficit in the balance of payment and suggests measures. Helps to solve economic problems like poverty, unemployment, inflation, deflation, etc.

What is macroeconomics about giving examples? ›

Macroeconomics is a branch of economics that deals with the performance, structure, behavior, and decision-making of an economy as a whole. For example, using interest rates, taxes, and government spending to regulate an economy's growth and stability. This includes regional, national, and global economies.

How can you apply microeconomics in your life? ›

By studying the mechanisms behind how these decisions are made, microeconomics enables us to understand concepts such as how prices are determined, what factors impact our decision to purchase goods, and how businesses can allocate their resources to increase efficiency.

What is an example of a microeconomic problem? ›

Some examples of microeconomic issues are: How to reduce pollution from production. How to reduce inequality of income. How to deal with monopoly.

What are the 3 main concepts of microeconomics? ›

The three main concepts of microeconomics are:
  • Elasticity of demand.
  • Marginal utility and demand.
  • Elasticity of supply.

What level of math is needed for economics? ›

Although economics graduate programs have varying admissions requirements, graduate training in economics is highly mathematical. Most economics PhD programs expect applicants to have had advanced calculus, differential equations, linear algebra, and basic probability theory.

Is microeconomics a science or math? ›

Microeconomics is a social science; it is a subfield of social science economics. Economics is a field of study that aims at understanding how economies work, and how different economic agents interact with each other and affect each other.

Is it better to take macro or microeconomics first? ›

Both introductory courses are important — and both should be taken early on. Many students prefer to take microeconomics first because it feels more applicable to their daily lives, so the concepts should be easier to grasp.

What are the 3 big questions of macroeconomics? ›

What are the 3 Major Concerns of Macroeconomics? Three major macroeconomic concerns are the unemployment level, inflation, and economic growth.

Who is known as the father of capitalism? ›

Adam Smith is often identified as the father of modern capitalism.

What is the most popular school of thought in economics today? ›

Systematic economic theory has been developed mainly since the beginning of what is termed the modern era. Currently, the great majority of economists follow an approach referred to as mainstream economics (sometimes called 'orthodox economics').

What is Keynesian school theory? ›

Keynesians believe that, because prices are somewhat rigid, fluctuations in any component of spending—consumption, investment, or government expenditures—cause output to change. If government spending increases, for example, and all other spending components remain constant, then output will increase.

What is macroeconomics kid definition? ›

The study of how a whole country's economy works is called macroeconomics.

What is another word for macroeconomics? ›

The other name of macroeconomics is 'Income and Employment Theory'.

Which best describes macroeconomics? ›

Which of the following best describes macroeconomics? It is concerned with the expansion and contraction of the overall economy.

What is microeconomics vs macroeconomics for dummies? ›

Microeconomics has applications in trade, industrial organization and market structure, labor economics, public finance, and welfare economics. Macroeconomics is the study of the decisions of countries and governments. The term analyzes entire industries and economics rather than individuals or specific companies.

What is the best definition of microeconomics? ›

Microeconomics is the study of what is likely to happen (tendencies) when individuals make choices in response to changes in incentives, prices, resources, and/or methods of production. Individual actors are often grouped into microeconomic subgroups, such as buyers, sellers, and business owners.

What is an example of macroeconomics for kids? ›

Examples of macroeconomics include: The Gross National Product of a country. Unemployment rates. Net imports and exports for a country and how this affects jobs.

What is macroeconomics vs economics? ›

Economics is divided into two categories: microeconomics and macroeconomics. Microeconomics is the study of individuals and business decisions, while macroeconomics looks at the decisions of countries and governments.

What is opposite of macroeconomics? ›

Macroeconomics is the opposite of micro economics. It is the study of economic system as whole: it studies not one economic unit like a firm, or an industry but the whole economic system.

How do you use macroeconomics in a sentence? ›

His research focuses on time-series econometrics, empirical macroeconomics, and macroeconomic forecasting. These models are now used by many central banks and are a core part of contemporary macroeconomics. His specialties include international economics, monetary policies and macroeconomics.

Why is macroeconomics important? ›

It helps in understanding the economic fluctuations. It helps in formulation of economic policies. It helps in studying inflation and deflation. It helps in study of national income and GDP.

What is the importance of macroeconomics? ›

Macroeconomics helps to evaluate the resources and capabilities of an economy, churn out ways to increase the national income, boost productivity, and create job opportunities to upscale an economy in terms of monetary development.

What is an example of a microeconomics? ›

Unemployment, interest rates, inflation, GDP, all fall into Macroeconomics. Consumer equilibrium, individual income and savings are examples of microeconomics.

What are five examples of macroeconomics? ›

These are examples of the macroeconomic factors that affect an economy:
  • Interest rates. The value of a nation's currency greatly affects the health of its economy. ...
  • Inflation. ...
  • Fiscal policy. ...
  • Gross domestic product (GDP) ...
  • National income. ...
  • Employment. ...
  • Economic growth rate. ...
  • Industrial production.
Mar 10, 2023

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