MACROECONOMICS
Question # 1: Go to the website of Bureau of Bureau of Economic Analysis
(http://www.bea.gov) and collect quarterly data from the first quarter of 1970 to the fourth
quarter of 2014 for the following data series:
1. Gross domestic product (GDP)
2. Personal consumption expenditures (C)
3. Gross private domestic investment (I)
4. Net exports of goods and services (NX)
5. Government consumption expenditures and gross investment (G)
Use the GDP deflator available from the course website in CMS and convert the dollar figures
into 2009 dollars including GDP and all its components. Use Excel spreadsheet to produce two
graphs as below:
1. Draw a line chart for nominal and real GDP.
2. Draw another line chart for all other components of GDP. Use only real numbers.
Determine the variable (C, I, NX or G) that is the most volatile (fluctuate up and down
from one quarter to the next) during that period.
Question # 2: Find the data for the above variables and repeat the exercise for Canada as well.