This new edition of Economics Today: The Macro View confronts leading-edge issues while lowering barriers to student learning. The text relentlessly pursues the fundamental objectives of showing students the centrality of economics in their own lives and providing students with many ways to evaluate their understanding of key concepts covered in each chapter. Modern topics in economic theory and policy are spotlighted throughout the text. These include: An appraisal of key questions raised by continuing growth of the U.S. government deficit and the public debt: Chapter 14 considers whether the federal government can rely on taxing the rich to eliminate its budget deficit and whether official measures of today’s public debt understate total promises of benefits to be paid in the future. An evaluation of a new aspect of Federal Reserve policymaking: Chapter 16 provides an analysis of various tools of credit policy that the Federal Reserve has adopted in recent years to supplement its traditional monetary policy instruments. Engaging What If...? features can be found in every chapter. Students new to economics sometimes believe that complex problems can be solved by simple government policies or solutions that require instantaneous changes in human behavior. The new What If...? features attempt to dispel some of the current notions about how to solve economic issues facing the nation and also encourage students to think like economists. Some examples include: What If . . . the Government Were to Limit or Even Ban Excessive Advertising? What If . . . the Government Saved U.S. Jobs From Foreign Competition by Prohibiting All Exports? What If . . . the Government Required U.S. Firms to Hire Only Workers Who Reside in the United States? In the macro portion of the text, analyses have been added of the following: Chapter 7 considers the extent to which lengthening the duration of unemployment benefits from 26 weeks to 99 weeks may have contributed to a higher U.S. unemployment rate. Chapter 11 explains why an index measure of financial market fear is often associated with short-term declines in total production of goods and services. Chapter 13 examines why most federal tax dollars recently transmitted to states to spend and thereby provide stimulus to the U.S. economy have failed to do so. Chapter 15 offers an explanation of why many banks no longer desire to expand deposits and indeed now actively seek to discourage customers from depositing more funds.