Issues in Economics Today, 8th Edition

Guell’s Issues in Economics Today presents economic theory brought to life through current issues with an engaging, conversational style. The 8th edition includes 8 theory chapters introducing the core topics in microeconomics and macroeconomics, and a selection of 40 short issues chapters, from which instructors can pick and choose the issues of most interest to their students. This format allows maximum flexibility for instructors to lay a foundation of theory first or dive right into coverage of today’s current issues. In addition, issues can be organized along themes such as social policy, health and education policy, election year issues, international issues, and business issues, or combined with outside content. Guell’s 8th edition provides content that is timely and relevant for students, flexible enough to fit any course design.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Economics: The Study of Opportunity Cost
Chapter 2 Supply and Demand
Chapter 3 The Concept of Elasticity and Consumer and Producer Surplus
Chapter 4 Firm Production, Cost, and Revenue
Chapter 5 Perfect Competition, Monopoly, and Economic versus Normal Profit
Chapter 6 Every Macroeconomic Word You Ever Heard: Gross Domestic Product, Inflation, Unemployment, Recession, and Depression
Chapter 7 Interest Rates and Present Value
Chapter 8 Aggregate Demand and Aggregate Supply
Chapter 9 Fiscal Policy
Chapter 10 Monetary Policy
Chapter 11 Federal Spending
Chapter 12 Federal Deficits, Surpluses, and the National Debt
Chapter 13 The Housing Bubble
Chapter 14 The Recession of 2007–2009: Causes and Policy Responses
Chapter 15 Is Economic Stagnation the New Normal?
Chapter 16 Is the (Fiscal) Sky Falling?: An Examination of Unfunded Social Security, Medicare, and State and Local Pension Liabilities
Chapter 17 International Trade: Does It Jeopardize American Jobs?
Chapter 18 International Finance and Exchange Rates
Chapter 19 European Debt Crisis
Chapter 20 Economic Growth and Development
Chapter 21 NAFTA, CAFTA, GATT, TPP, WTO: Are Trade Agreements Good for Us?
Chapter 22 The Line between Legal and Illegal Goods
Chapter 23 Natural Resources, the Environment, and Climate Change
Chapter 24 Health Care
Chapter 25 Government-Provided Health Insurance: Medicaid, Medicare, and the Children’s Health Insurance Program
Chapter 26 The Economics of Prescription Drugs
Chapter 27 So You Want to Be a Lawyer: Economics and the Law
Chapter 28 The Economics of Crime
Chapter 29 Antitrust
Chapter 30 The Economics of Race and Sex Discrimination
Chapter 31 Income and Wealth Inequality: What’s Fair?
Chapter 32 Farm Policy
Chapter 33 Minimum Wage
Chapter 34 Ticket Brokers and Ticket Scalping
Chapter 35 Rent Control
Chapter 36 The Economics of K–12 Education
Chapter 37 College and University Education: Why Is It So Expensive?
Chapter 38 Poverty and Welfare
Chapter 39 Head Start
Chapter 40 Social Security
Chapter 41 Personal Income Taxes
Chapter 42 Energy Prices
Chapter 43 If We Build It, Will They Come? And Other Sports Questions
Chapter 44 The Stock Market and Crashes
Chapter 45 Unions
Chapter 46 Walmart: Always Low Prices (and Low Wages)—Always
Chapter 47 The Economic Impact of Casino and Sports Gambling
Chapter 48 The Economics of Terrorism