Economics Homework Help

I’m working on a macro economics question and need guidance to help me understand better.

Your paper (response to questions) should be a minimum of 500 words total. You are asked to use at least two outside resources, which should be listed in a simple bibliography (URL) so that others may go to those sites. Try to include the bibliography with your original posting to minimize total entries. At least two (or more) URL references should be included.

I would ask you to consider these questions. The same guidelines that we have used for the other discussion boards will apply. Again, I am asking for your opinion informed by the attached information as well as your own research.

1. In your own words, why did the debt problem occur?

2. Is it better for our economy to allow free market forces to govern our financial services or should there be more regulation by the Federal government and the Federal Reserve?

3. Should consumers be more protected by better laws or should the idea of “consumer beware” apply in these markets? Has unfair, predatory lending been taking place at the expense of the borrower?

4. Should government help the large banks and brokerage firms and “bail them out” of these bad loans?

5. How much help should be given to consumers who have lost jobs due to the pandemic. Is there a limit to the amount of public debt?

6. Does the Federal Reserve have too much power? Did they overstep their authority in the ways that they have dealt with the problem?

7. What is your opinion of “moral hazard” concerns?

8. What “safeguards” have been put in place since the 2008 crisis? Should they be relaxed, today? What limits are being imposed as we respond to the Covid crisis.

9. What similarities do you see between the near financial collapse in 2008-2009 and our current pandemic? What are the main differences?

Here are several sources—some satirical…some serious. The first, with Bill Moyers was done near the time of the crisis but is still very timely.

http://www.calculatedriskblog.com/2009/04/bill-moyers-journal-william-black.html

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/indepth_coverage/business/moralhazard/

A British satire on the financial meltdown with respect to moral hazard 8:50 minutes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzPij_Ty2aU

The Crisis of Credit part 1 and 2: 11:05 minutes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0zEXdDO5JU , http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYhDkZjKBEw&feature=relmfu

A PBS frontline Special “Inside the Meltdown” (2009) how the economy went so bad, so fast and what Paulson and Bernanke didn’t see, couldn’t stop and haven’t been able to fix (56:29 minutes).

http://video.pbs.org/video/1082087546