Economics 311: Financial Markets
Data
How are the various measure of the Money Supply doing? M1, M2
Growth of the Monetary Base 1980-2007
Growth of the Monetary Base since 2007
Growth of the Monetary Base 1980-now
For interest:
What is "the interest rate?" It depends...
What is happening to the "monetary base" that the Federal Reserve has made available for bank reserves?
How much are banks holding in "excess reserves" these days?
The Fed's balance sheet is very scary looking these days. Here is a timeline for how it got that way.
For interest: There are these items on the asset part of the Fed's balance sheet called "Maiden Lane?" What the heck?
For fun: "It's a Wonderful Life" movie bank run. Here is the script.
NU alumnus William Jennings Bryan's "Cross of Gold" speech from 1896
"The Wizard of Oz as a Monetary Allegory," Hugh Rockoff, Journal of Political Economy, 1990
A Time Magazine history of the Federal Reserve in photos
NPR "This American Life" audio programs about how we crashed the financial system.
"The Giant Pool of Money," May 9, 2008 (Short version)
"Another Frightening Show about the Economy," Oct. 3, 2008
"Bad Bank," Feb. 27, 2009 (Bank balance sheets!)
"Return of the Giant Pool of Money," Sept. 25, 2009
"Other People's Money," Oct. 16, 2009
For amusement:
What is Money? (The Onion)
Where's George? (An NU video tracking how dollar bills flow around the country)
The European Central Bank has produced an information kit entitled "Price stability: why is it important for you?" for young teenagers and teachers, including an eight minute cartoon (which is great). "Wait a minute. I know you. You are inflation!"
We would be way better off if we would get rid of the penny.
Monty Python's "The Money Song"
Randy Newman's "It's Money that Matters"