Feb 13 If Our Economy is More Global, Does That Change Our Strategies? Editor’s Note: Paul recently answered “Five Good Questions” on the economy for the PBS Engage blog. You will also be able to find those answers here on the Business Desk all week. Question/Comment:… Continue reading
Jan 12 Watch Bush Looks Back on Presidency in Final Press Conference In what he called "the ultimate exit interview," President George W. Bush gave his final press conference Monday, admitting to some mistakes while defending the bulk of his decisions on domestic, economic, and foreign policy. Continue watching
Jan 02 Could You Explain the Differences Between a “Recession,” “Depression” and “Repression”? Question/Comment: Could you please explain the differences between “recession,” “depression” and “repression”? I understand that recession has a text book definition, but the other two terms seem vague. Paul Solman: “Recession” is two successive quarters of “negative growth” – i.e.,… Continue reading
Dec 26 Watch Nobel Laureates Trace How the Economy Began to Fall Apart The subprime mortgage meltdown and subsequent downward spiral caught some officials and the public off guard. Yet there were some clear indicators of the impending crisis. Paul Solman speaks to two Nobel award-winning economists about how the economy began to… Continue watching
Dec 24 Do You Believe FDR’s Big Government Investment Efforts in Fact Helped End the Great Depression, And if So, Would Such Efforts Help Now? By Business Desk Question/Comment: A friend of mine disputes the notion that FDR’s New Deal rescued the nation from the Great Depression; he argues that the war effort was the major contributor. Do you believe… Continue reading
Dec 16 How Much Globalization Versus Nationalism/Protectionism is Needed Right Now to Resolve the Economic Crisis? Question/Comment: How much globalization versus nationalism/protectionism is needed right now to resolve the economic crisis? Paul Solman: Interesting. Your question prompts a warning. The Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act of 1930, an attempt to protect American industry only eight months after the… Continue reading
Nov 20 Watch Worsening Economic Crisis Stops Short of Depression Nobel laureate and economist Robert Solow offers his thoughts on the severity of current economic turmoil and the chances of the situation leading to another Great Depression in a conversation with Paul Solman. Continue watching
Nov 17 When the Government Issues New Treasury Debt and Puts it into the Banking System, Does That Mean More Dollars in the World, and Thus Inflation? Paul Solman: Several weeks ago, former Fed Chairman and economic boom cheerleader Alan Greenspan said this before Congress: “Those of us who have looked to the self-interest of lending institutions to protect shareholders’ equity, myself included, are in a state… Continue reading
Nov 10 Watch Military, VA Confront Rising Suicide Rates Among Troops The Army says that suicides among active duty personnel have doubled in recent years, and multiple deployments might contribute to that increase. NewsHour correspondent Betty Ann Bowser reports. Continue watching
Nov 10 Watch Parties Seek Consensus on New Financial Stimulus Plan Congressional leaders and both President Bush and President-elect Obama have stressed the need for another financial stimulus package to jump-start the stalled economy. Economists weigh in on what steps they would take. Continue watching