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November 26, 2024

Trade
What Are Tariffs?

U.S. Presidents Trump and Biden have both turned to tariffs to support local industries amid economic confrontation with China. Here’s how these taxes work and how they’ve been used historically.

A red-helmeted worker lays steel at a factory.

November 15, 2024

G20 (Group of Twenty)
What Does the G20 Do?

The Group of Twenty, an informal gathering of many of the world’s largest economies, is the premier global forum for discussing economic issues. It is facing continued divisions over trade, climate c…

World leaders sit around a circular table at the G20 summit in New Delhi, India.

August 15, 2024

Monetary Policy
What Is the U.S. Federal Reserve?

Over the past decade, the Fed kept interest rates low while it deployed trillions of dollars in stimulus and expanded its regulatory oversight. Now, the central bank is back in the spotlight for its …

A stone bald eagle perches on the Federal Reserve building in Washington, DC.

May 14, 2024

Trade
The Contentious U.S.-China Trade Relationship

Trade between the world’s two biggest economies has ballooned in recent decades, bringing significant benefits but also perils that have led to calls to rethink the relationship.

A Chinese technician wearing a facemask is cast in blue light as he works on a solar panel production line.

April 3, 2024

United States
What Does the U.S. National Guard Do?

The National Guard is a special part of the U.S. military that answers to both state governors and the president. While it began as a “strategic reserve,” the guard has come to play an important role…

A member of the National Guard patrols the southern U.S. border in Eagle Pass, Texas.

October 2, 2024

Budget, Debt, and Deficits
Who’s Afraid of the National Debt?

The United States national debt is rising to levels not seen since World War II. Many economists say Washington is on an unsustainable track, but no one knows when it will pass the point of crisis. W…

Podcast People walk in front of a bus stop with a sign saying the national debt is $104,151 per person.

January 17, 2024

Technology and Innovation
The Crypto Question: Bitcoin, Digital Dollars, and the Future of Money

The dizzying rise of bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies has created new challenges for governments and central banks. Increasing popularity and high levels of market volatility have raised the stakes…

A technician inspects the backside of a bitcoin mining operation in Quebec, Canada.

September 18, 2023

Economics
Is Industrial Policy Making a Comeback?

The threat of climate change and the rise of China have prompted renewed debate about the U.S. government’s role in shaping the economy.

Workers assemble Ford vehicles at the Chicago Assembly Plant in Chicago, Illinois.

July 19, 2023

United States
The Dollar: The World’s Reserve Currency

The dollar’s role as the primary reserve currency for the global economy allows the United States to borrow money more easily and impose painful financial sanctions. Other countries are beginning to …

Three $1 bills lie on top of one another, filling the frame.