Beginning of Essay
The American economy has many components which contribute to its growth and which affect its rate of inflation, but the overriding stimuli stem from the monetary and fiscal controls imposed by the Federal Reserve and government, respectively. The economy has enjo ....

Middle of Essay
.... as moving out of bonds), and the stock market may see a decrease in value as investors weigh the effect of the interest rate increase on corporate borrowing. The Fed held interest rates steady for most of 1997 and 1998 during which time the economy moved forward at a slow pace. Inflation was kept in check, the federal deficit declined, and unemployment was at near-record lows throughout the country. Despite this, there was little upward pressure on wages and, in general, consumers have seen some slight interest in their purchasing power. By late 1998, there was an increase in wages in some service industries and among computer and technical profes ....