* 4th edition has more emphasis on inequality, ownership structures, financialization, the changing nature of work, and global as well as economy-wide change and uncertainty * Several chapters include discussion on the impacts of COVID-19 on economic well-being and other macroeconomic outcomes like health and labour markets * General updates, including new data, new exercises and discussion questions * The first three chapters of 3rd edition have now been condensed to two chapters in the 4th edition * Differs from other principles books on the market in its pluralist approach. It covers everything the student needs to know, whilst also placing issues in their historical, institutional, social, political, and ethical context. * Introduces students to different schools of thought in economics. Perspectives include neoclassical economics, Keynesian economics, ecological economics, institutional economics and feminist economics. * Logical building-block structure, providing student with a clear sequential approach to macroeconomic models. * Companion website with student study guide, PPT slides and teaching materials (including test bank)

* 5th edition has more content on inequality, wellbeing, international trade and the changing nature of work * Several chapters include discussion on the impacts of COVID-19 on inequality, labour markets, health and beyond * General updates, including new data, new exercises and discussion questions * Differs from other principles books on the market in its pluralist approach. It covers everything the student needs to know, whilst also placing issues in their historical, institutional, social, political, and ethical context. * Introduces students to different schools of thought in economics. Perspectives include neoclassical economics, Keynesian economics, ecological economics, institutional economics and feminist economics. * Logical building-block structure, providing student with a clear sequential approach to macroeconomic models. * Companion website with student study guide, PPT slides and teaching materials (including test bank)

* 5th edition has more content on inequality, wellbeing, international trade and the changing nature of work * Several chapters include discussion on the impacts of COVID-19 on inequality, labour markets, health and beyond * General updates, including new data, new exercises and discussion questions * Differs from other principles books on the market in its pluralist approach. It covers everything the student needs to know, whilst also placing issues in their historical, institutional, social, political, and ethical context. * Introduces students to different schools of thought in economics. Perspectives include neoclassical economics, Keynesian economics, ecological economics, institutional economics and feminist economics. * Logical building-block structure, providing student with a clear sequential approach to macroeconomic models. * Companion website with student study guide, PPT slides and teaching materials (including test bank)

Macroeconomics in Context lays out the principles of macroeconomics in a manner that is thorough, up to date, and relevant to students. Like its counterpart, Microeconomics in Context, the book is uniquely attuned to economic, social, and environmental realities. The “In Context” books offer engaging coverage of current topics including policy responses to recession and inflation, inequality, deficits and government debt, economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the economics of environmental sustainability.

This fourth edition includes:

Improved and concise discussions of introductory topics, especially on key economic activities, macroeconomic goals, and economic models

Further emphasis on inequality, environmental sustainability, financialization, the changing nature of work, and international developments such as the role of transnational corporations and supply chain issues

Discussion of the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on macroeconomic factors like well-being, inequality, and labor markets

Presentation of policy issues in historical, environmental, institutional, social, political, and ethical contexts, including an updated discussion of fiscal policy in relation to the Biden administration’s infrastructure and social investment spending

Clear explanations of basic economic concepts alongside more in-depth analysis of macroeconomics models and economic activity

This book combines real-world relevance with a thorough grounding in multiple economic paradigms. It is the ideal textbook for modern introductory courses in macroeconomics.

The book’s companion website is available at: http://www.bu.edu/eci/macro

Table of Contents

Part I The Context for Economic Analysis 0. Macroeconomics and Well-Being 1. Economic Activity in Context 2. Foundations of Economic Analysis 3. Supply and Demand PART II Macroeconomic Basics 4. Macroeconomic Measurement: The Current Approach 5. Macroeconomic Measurement: Environmental and Social Dimensions 6. The Structure of the United States Economy 7. Employment, Unemployment, and Wages PART III Macroeconomic Theory and Policy 8. Aggregate Demand and Economic Fluctuations 9. Fiscal Policy 10. Money, Banking, and Finance 11. The Federal Reserve and Monetary Policy 12. Aggregate Supply, Aggregate Demand, and Inflation: Putting It All Together 13. The Global Economy and Policy PART IV: Macroeconomic Issues and Applications 14. Inequality: Economic and Social Perspectives 15. Deficits and Debt 16. How Economies Grow and Develop 17. Growth and Sustainability in the Twenty-First Century

The belief that men and women have fundamentally distinct natures, resulting in divergent preferences and behaviours, is widespread. Recently, economists have also engaged in the search for gender differences, with a number claiming to find fundamental gender differences regarding risk-taking, altruism, and competition. In particular, the idea that "women are more risk-averse than men" has become accepted as a truism. But is it true? And what are its causes and consequences? Gender and Risk Taking makes three contributions. First, it asks whether the belief that men and women have distinct risk preferences is backed up by high quality empirical evidence. The answer turns out to be "no." This leads to a second question: Why, then, does so much of the literature claim to find evidence of "difference"? This, it will be shown, can be attributed to biases arising from too-easy categorical thinking, widespread stereotyping, and a tendency to prefer results that are publishable and that fit one's prior beliefs. Third, the book explores the economic implications of the conventional association of risk-taking with masculinity and risk-aversion with femininity. Not only fairness in employment, but also the health of the financial sector and national responses to climate change, this book argues, are being compromised. This volume will be eye-opening for anyone interested in gender, decision-making, cognition, and/or risk, especially in areas relating to employment, finance, management, or public policy.

The belief that men and women have fundamentally distinct natures, resulting in divergent preferences and behaviours, is widespread. Recently, economists have also engaged in the search for gender differences, with a number claiming to find fundamental gender differences regarding risk-taking, altruism, and competition. In particular, the idea that "women are more risk-averse than men" has become accepted as a truism. But is it true? And what are its causes and consequences? Gender and Risk Taking makes three contributions. First, it asks whether the belief that men and women have distinct risk preferences is backed up by high quality empirical evidence. The answer turns out to be "no." This leads to a second question: Why, then, does so much of the literature claim to find evidence of "difference"? This, it will be shown, can be attributed to biases arising from too-easy categorical thinking, widespread stereotyping, and a tendency to prefer results that are publishable and that fit one's prior beliefs. Third, the book explores the economic implications of the conventional association of risk-taking with masculinity and risk-aversion with femininity. Not only fairness in employment, but also the health of the financial sector and national responses to climate change, this book argues, are being compromised. This volume will be eye-opening for anyone interested in gender, decision-making, cognition, and/or risk, especially in areas relating to employment, finance, management, or public policy.

At its core, an economy is about providing goods and services for human well-being. But many economists and critics preach that an economy is something far different: a cold and heartless system that operates outside of human control. In this impassioned and perceptive work, Julie A. Nelson asks a compelling question: given that our economic world is something that we as humans create, aren’t ethics and human relationships—dimensions of a full and rich life—intrinsically part of the picture? Economics for Humans argues against the well-ingrained notion that economics is immune to moral values and distant from human relationships. Here, Nelson locates the impediment to a more considerate economic world in an assumption that is shared by both neoliberals and the political left. Despite their seemingly insurmountable differences, both make use of the metaphor, first proposed by Adam Smith, that the economy is a machine. This pervasive idea, Nelson argues, has blinded us to the qualities that make us work and care for one another—qualities that also make businesses thrive and markets grow. We can wed our interest in money with our justifiable concerns about ethics and social well-being. And we can do so if we recognize that an economy is not a machine, but a living thing in need of attention and careful tending. This second edition has been updated and refined throughout, with expanded discussions of many topics and a new chapter that investigates the apparent conflict between economic well-being and ecological sustainability. Further developing the main points of the first edition, Economics for Humans will continue to both invigorate and inspire readers to reshape the way they view the economy, its possibilities, and their place within it.