Business Taxes
Why States Give Companies Tax Breaks to Create Jobs
A state can give a company a tax break, get the promised jobs and still have paid for an investment that would have happened anyway. States…
The Broader Economy
The broader economy is the whole system of production, jobs, prices, trade, and money that government both measures and tries to steer. Congress, the president, the Federal Reserve, and many agencies take part, each with different tools. Understanding it means seeing how those tools work and how their effects reach households and businesses.
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October 11last updated
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Referenced by Brookings, CNN, Forbes, Fox News, Pew Research, Snopes, The Hill and USA Today.
The Webby-recognized AI behind our articles »
Latest in The Broader Economy
Fossil Fuels
Diesel Export Bans: How They Affect U.S. Fuel Prices
A government ban on diesel exports would stop fuel from being sold overseas, with the aim of making it cheaper at home. Diesel that would have…
Trade Policy
Section 338: Presidential Tariffs and Import Bans
In 2026, tariffs of 50 percent took effect August 22 on a range of Canadian goods, and three September 8 proclamations excluded certain Canadian products in…
Industrial Policy
Why American Manufacturing Jobs Declined
Explores why manufacturing jobs declined, weighing trade with China, automation, corporate tax cuts, health costs, and whether tariffs or CHIPS Act help.
Topics in The Broader Economy
Government policy
Monetary and Fiscal Policy covers how central bank and budget decisions steer the economy, Interest Rates covers the cost of borrowing, and Budget Deficits and National Debt covers the gap between what government spends and collects.
Monetary and Fiscal Policy
35 articles
- Trump Called Affordability a “Hoax.” What Did the Polls Show?
- Who Will Be the Next Fed Chair? The Decision That Shapes the Economy Through 2030
- Unemployment, Inflation, and Interest Rates
Measuring the economy
Economic Indicators covers the statistics that show how the economy is doing, Economic Growth covers the rise in what an economy produces, and Inflation and Cost of Living covers rising prices and the cost of ordinary needs.
Economic Indicators
44 articles
- The US Economy in 2026: Tariffs, Inflation, and Slowing Growth
- Everything Feels Expensive: What That Means for American Politics
- Why Americans’ Views of the Economy Differ From the Data
Markets and rules
Financial Regulation covers the oversight of banks and markets, Industrial Policy covers government support for particular industries, and Trade Policy covers tariffs, trade deals, and other rules for goods crossing borders.
Financial Regulation
10 articles
- The 50-Year Mortgage: What It Is and Why Analysts Are Concerned
- How the SEC Protects Investors from Wall Street Fraud
- What U.S. History Shows About the Effects of Deregulation
All Articles on The Broader Economy
How the Federal Reserve Sets Interest Rates
Explains how the Federal Reserve turns its target range for the federal funds rate into a real overnight rate using tools like IORB and repo facilities.
What Dodd-Frank Did After the 2008 Crash
Dodd-Frank created the CFPB and tried to end bank bailouts after 2008. See how the 2023 bank failures reopened debate over its success.
Fiscal vs. Monetary Policy: What’s the Difference?
Fiscal policy is Congress setting taxes and spending. Monetary policy is the Fed setting interest rates. See which lever actually moves your paycheck or loans.
Who Wins and Who Loses in the US-Canada Trade War
U.S.-Canada tariffs divide gains and costs among producers, manufacturers, shoppers and exporters, with exemptions and retaliation shaping the outcome.
Section 122 Tariffs Are Now Law. Here’s What That Means for Prices.
Four days after the Supreme Court struck down the administration's emergency tariffs, a new 15% surcharge on most U.S. Imports was already in effect.…
The 150-Day Clock on Trump’s New Tariffs—And What Legal Authorities Come Next
Trump’s tariff deadlines depend on the law behind each charge, Congress’s role, replacement powers and court rulings, with different rules for imports.
How Treasury Monitors Currency Manipulation When Trade Imbalances Surge
China's trade surplus hit $1.19 trillion in 2025. Only $160 billion of it showed up in the country's foreign exchange reserves. That gap—$1.03 trillion…
China’s Record 2025 Trade Surplus and What It Showed About U.S. Tariffs
China announced this week that its trade surplus hit $1.19 trillion in 2025—a 20 percent jump from the year before, and the highest figure…
The Enforcement Tools Commerce Has When Tariffs Fail to Rebalance Trade
China closed 2025 with a trade surplus approaching $1.2 trillion. Between April and December, the actual cost increase on Chinese goods reached 39-47 percent,…
Can the President Impose Tariffs on Countries Instead of Products?
Presidents can target imports by country under powers Congress grants. Tariff laws set the limits, and American importers pay the customs charges.