These Economics W.I.R.E.D. activities recommend web links that relate to key concepts of each chapter of the textbook. For each link, there are instructions to guide you to specific information, followed by several discussion questions or exercises.

Key Concepts: Why Are Central Banks Independent?, Case Study: Trying to Bring the Aggregate Demand Curve into Line in 2000, Money and Other Instruments of Monetary Policy, The Exchange Rate and Monetary Policy

Federal Reserve—Selected Interest Rates

Click on Current Release to view "Selected Interest Rates" in PDF format.

• Explain how FOMC may buy or sell bonds to achieve a "short-run" operating target Federal Funds rate.
• Describe how the Federal Funds rate may affect the interest rates of U.S. government securities such as bonds.
• Review the current 30-year mortgage interest rate information at Interest.com. Note that the 30-year mortgage rate is benchmarked to the 30 year U.S. government security (bond) rate. Explain how controlling the Federal Funds rate can affect the overall demand for money in the economy.

OANDA.com

Review the real-time foreign exchange "Currency Trends" information on major currency-pairs (U.S. dollar & Euro, U.S. dollar & Japanese yen, and Euro & Swiss franc).  Scroll down the page and survey the current FXNews.

• Assess how much the U.S. dollar has appreciated or depreciated against the Euro and Japanese yen over the past year.
• Explain how volatile exchange rates may negatively affect global trade and multinational businesses.
• Review the service offered by e-gold.com. Explain why investors may be interested in holding "e-gold" in their investment portfolio.