Econ 2: Spring 2014: UC Berkeley: Econ 2: Sample Final Exam II: G. The Government Budget
In the first quarter of 2014 the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Economic Analysis estimated that local, state, and the federal government purchased $716.2 billion worth of goods and services, in a context in which total GDP in that quarter was $3,986.6 billion—government purchases were thus 17.9% of the entire economy. Do you believe that this number is lower than is optimal, about optimal, or too high to be optimal? Why? What things have you learned in this course that have changed or confirmed your view of this question?