Nov 06 Will we ever pay down or even pay off the national debt? Question/Comment: Given the history of the ever increasing U.S. national debt and our fluctuating economy, how realistic is it that we will ever pay down or even pay off the national debt? We have never managed to maintain the necessary… Continue reading
Nov 05 Do you think Alan Greenspan really thought that the "bubble" would never burst? By Business Desk Question/Comment: It is my belief that Alan Greenspan is a strong follower of Ayn Rand’s philosophy of a free and unfettered economy. Do you think Greenspan really thought that the “bubble” would never burst? Paul Solman: Greenspan IS (or at… Continue reading
Nov 04 Watch Political History Takes New Course in '08 Election Elections from both the 1930s and the 1990s have centered on the economy, but the 2008 presidential race featured a unique combination of economic, racial and foreign policy issues. Historians discuss the events and offer some parallels from past elections. Continue watching
Nov 03 Watch As Campaigns Enter Last Day, Candidates Give Final Messages Presidential hopefuls Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Barack Obama, D-Ill., delivered closing arguments Monday in closely contested states such as Ohio. Judy Woodruff reports on their final efforts. Continue watching
Oct 31 Watch Stocks Remain Volatile After Worst Month in Decades Wall Street has endured its worst month in 21 years yet its best week in 34 years. The markets continue to remain unsettled on news of consumer spending cutbacks and investors' fears. The Wall Street Journal's economics editor analyzes the… Continue watching
Oct 31 When Economic Shifts and Elections Intersect: An Interview With Economist Ray Fair Paul Solman: Every presidential election year for awhile now, we've paid a visit to Yale professor Ray Fair. His computer model for predicting the race, based largely on economics, has become something of a national phenomenon… Continue reading
Oct 30 Watch Lessons of Great Depression Apply to Current Meltdown The stock market crash of 1929 offers parallels to the spiraling financial crisis of the 21st century, giving insight to measures that can help correct the collapse. Paul Solman talks to two authors on the Great Depression who assess the… Continue watching
Oct 30 Watch Candidates Push Hard for Support in Ohio, Florida With five days left before Election Day, the presidential contenders hit critical states Thursday, including Ohio and Florida, both of which President Bush won in 2004. Ray Suarez details Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama's latest moves. Continue watching
Oct 30 Watch Consumers Trim Spending in New Sign of Economic Downturn New data show that consumer spending fell 3.1 percent in the third quarter, its sharpest drop in 28 years. New York Times columnist David Leonhardt examines the latest numbers. Continue watching
Oct 30 U.S. Economy Shrinks as Consumers Slow Spending By Admin, PBS News Hour The Commerce Department reported Thursday the economy shrank at an annual rate of 0.3 percent in the July to September period, indicating that a recession may have already begun. Continue reading