An explanation of the causes of market failure and possible governmental responses to such failure.

Market-oriented environmental tools are explained, and guided questions are provided. This article from Khan Academy is intended for students who are taking a microeconomics course.

This site examines how society can benefit by producing and consuming more of a product that causes a positive externality.

A scholarly paper written for the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis Review looks at the causes of bank failures in the Great Depression, and how these failure rates were reflected across the country. Very detailed. [pdf]

Read about the three main types of market-oriented regulation, including pollution charges, marketable permits, and better-defined property rights

This study guide distinguishes between positive and negative externalities and how to correct negative externalities. Some learning exercises and an online quiz are also provided.

The bank runs and bank failures of the 1930s are described here, as well as personal interviews with people who experienced the Great Depression.

One of the things economists do is to study the relationship between the supply of products being sold on the market, the demand for products by consumers, and the price of products. They look at how price is determined by the...

A scholarly paper on the U.S. banking debacle of the 1980s and the lesson it holds on government mismanagement. Provides background on the history of savings and loans and draws the conclusion that the banking debacle was primarily an...

This resource explains what public goods are. This video lesson from Khan Academy is intended for students who are taking a microeconomics course.

Pollution is an example of a negative externality. Despite the gradual reduction in emissions from fossil fuels, many important environmental issues remain. Along with the still-high levels of air and water pollution, other issues...

Financial crises have happened before, and - if history is any guide - they will happen again. One year after the subprime mortgage crisis, this Baker Library Historical Collections exhibit documents four major crises that occurred in an...

Read about the background of the banking failures and crises in the 1920s and early 1930s which led to the passage of the Emergency Bank Act, and the eventual establishment of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation to protect the...

Read about the creeping descent into depression in the United States upon the crash of the stock market. Find out how the economy collapsed, and how that affected employment and the lives of millions.

Read this winning essay on the actions of the Federal Reserve in the 1920s that contributed to the crash of the stock market in 1929, ushering the Great Depression.

"The verdict is in: California's experiment with energy deregulation is not just a mess; it's a certifiable failure, according to everyone from the state governor to the very utilities that initially backed the scheme." This is how...

Economic concepts are often found in places students have never considered, like children's literature. In this lesson, students will explore the various economic concepts addressed in five of Dr. Seuss' most popular books: The Cat in...

This video teaches the concept of Income Distribution. Income distribution refers to how the total income earned ends up divided over members of the economy. The website contains an interactive quiz and links for related lesson plans.

This site examines how society can benefit by producing and consuming more of a product that causes a positive externality.

This video teaches the concept of Roles of Government. Some roles of government include protecting the environment, helping the poor and providing national defense. The website contains an interactive quiz and links for related lesson...

This timeline of the Depression begins in October of 1929 and highlights significant statistics or events, sometimes month by month, through November of 1940 when Roosevelt is re-elected for his third term. From bank collapses to dust...

For upper level classes and abilities only. A very scholarly explanation of the causes of the Great Depression and steps Franklin Roosevelt to end it. An excellent source due to its thorough analysis and detail.

Students will learn the basic functions of the Federal Reserve Bank of the United States through activities presented in this lesson plan.

Actions taken by Franklin D. Roosevelt upon becoming president in 1933. Read about how he took immediate steps to restore confidence in the banking segment of the American economy.