Resources

We would like you to know about two new free economic education resources created by the Boston Bank that are available on its public website: Pursuit! On the Trail of Economic Growth and "Another Action Hero", the second unit of Show Business: the Economics of Entertainment. What’s the economy? What’s economic growth? How does growth occur? These ideas, not always easy to grasp, are explored in Pursuit! on the trail of economic growth, a new animated game on the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston’s web site. At the heart of Pursuit! is a timeline of New England’s economic history. Players embark on “trails” to explore three different time periods in “pursuit” of understanding how growth occurs. Before setting off, they pick one of six animated characters as their guide – a teacher, inventor, scientist, banker, entrepreneur, or Uncle Sam – each embodying a major factor of growth. Along the way, the guides entertain, educate, and motivate. Play Pursuit! Today! Is a “strong” dollar always good? Is outsourcing the same as offshoring? Does GDP include exports? These ideas, not always easy to grasp, are explored in “Another Action Hero,” unit 2 in the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston's on-line game Show Business. “Another Action Hero” uses the film industry to illustrate aspects of international trade and globalization, including protectionism, trade benefits, currency market and the role of government in the global economy. The first unit of Show Business, called “Climbing the Charts,” was launched in 2007. It delves into the music industry to illustrate concerns such as how markets develop, the role of technology in shaping markets, intellectual property rights, and copyrighting. Look for “Another Action Hero”and “Climbing the Charts” Today!