The PPC also illustrates the benefits of trade derived from a country's ability to reach beyond its production possibilities. Supply and Demand One of the most important lessons in the series shows how supply and demand curves are developed and used to analyze surpluses and shortages in a market-based system. Price controls and their potential effects on markets are graphed and analyzed through contemporary examples. The Business Cycle Segments on unemployment and inflation throughout the Twentieth Century illustrate the business cycle. Job seekers in various circumstances relate their experiences with unemployment.
Experts debate the reliability of price indices in estimating the true rate of inflation.
A simple circular flow model outlines economic activity through the interactions between businesses and households in the small entertainment-oriented community of Branson, Missouri. The program also presents the components and methods of calculating GDP, along with the problems associated with measuring economic activity. Experts debate the value of government policies aimed at eliminating or reducing these gaps. This lesson also highlights the wide range of US citizen opinion concerning the government's role in the economy. The challenges of achieving economic growth faced by Japan after World War II, the countries of the former Soviet Union, and other developing countries provide thought-provoking issues.