Economic Commentary in the Classroom
Are you looking for ways to spark discussion about current economic events?
Motivate your students' learning with current event discussions
Here you'll find questions to help motivate current event discussions. The questions are based on state education standards and can be used as a teaching tool to spark discussion about:
- consumer finance
- factors that inhibit or spur economic growth
- how the U.S. government provides public services, regulates economic activity and promotes economic growth and stability.
The study questions (and suggested answers) below are linked to Economic Commentary written by Bank economists. For questions, comments, or suggestions about these questions, e-mail us at Learningcenter@clev.frb.org or call us at 216.579.3188.
Available Question Sets
Economic Commentary :: Time-Consistent Rules in Monetary and Fiscal Policy
- When households and businesses are uncertain whether or not a government policy will remain unchanged over its scheduled tenure, the outcome the policy aimed to achieve can be distorted by the public's expectation of how strictly it will be enforced.. How can you mitigate uncertainty so that the public will not adjust their reponse to it?
- Explain how election turnover can have an effect on how households and businesses respond to policies.
- Discuss how optimal policy depends on whether policymakers can commit to the policy. What does it mean when a policy is time-inconsistent?
- Explain a scenario in which the dilemma of time-inconsistency appears directly in the conduct of monetary and fiscal policy.
- Give examples of the effects that an independent central bank may have on inflation.
- How do you make time-consistent rules work?
Economic Commentary :: The College Wage Premium
- What is the college wage premium and how does it affect earnings?
- What other educational investment decisions affect the college wage premium?
- What is the advanced degree premium and how does it influence college premium calculations?
- Give an example of a college major that has a higher rate of advanced-degree holders than do majors as a whole, according to the Census Bureau's American Community Survey for 2009.
- Explain how students' field of study has a strong effect on potential earnings.
Economic Commentary :: Do Bank Branches Matter Anymore?
- What tangible benefits do brick-and-morter bank branches provide consumers in low-and moderate-income neighborhoods?
- Should policymakers provide a solution to the problem of the incrasing distance between bank branch and consumers in low-to moderate-income neighborhoods?
- How does a bank's physical presence help it develop valuable knowledge about credit risks and business opportunities by interacting with consumers and businesses as it delivers deposit and loan products?
- What are the advantages to lenders of new tools such as credit scores; arm’s-length business models based on complex risk estimations; and other automated underwriting rules?
- Who benefits the most from neighborhood banking?
Economic Commentary :: Are Jobless Recoveries the New Norm?
What is meant by a jobless recovery?
- How have payroll employment levels dropped and the unemployment rate risen during the recent recession? How is this different from past recessions?
- What are the consequences of longer periods of unemployment? Do you think this has implications for government policy?
- Why do employers lay off workers temporarily or cut their hours during recessions? What are the consequences of these practices when business picks up?
Economic Commentary :: A Credit Score is a Ranking Not a Score
What is a credit score?
- What is a FICO score?
- Why did the three credit bureaus, Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion, join forces?
- What are some of the factors that can affect your credit score?
- How can I find out why my credit score is?