Business cycles are recurring cycles of economic events involving a period of more rapid than normal or average growth (the expansionary phase) and culminating in a peak, followed by a phase of slower than average growth (a recession), or a period of...

The political-business cycle is a political science concept thought to be applicable in different ways in most liberal democracies, although the research in this area applies most obviously to the USA and the United Kingdom. The basic idea is that...

‘A type of fluctuation found in the aggregate economic activity of nations that organize their work mainly in business enterprises: a cycle consists of expansions occurring at about the same time in many economic activities, followed by similarly...

Fluctuations in economic activity brought about by democratically elected governments seeking to win successive elections. It has been argued that political parties have a choice between unemployment and inflation so that in the period before an...

The business cycle or economic cycle refers to the fluctuations of economic activity about its long term growth trend. The cycle involves shifts over time between periods of relatively rapid growth of output (recovery and prosperity), and periods of...

Credit crunch gathering steamThe mortgage crisis and overall credit crunch will likely cut GDP growth by 1.3 percentage points in the next year, according to a study by several top economists at a Univ. of Chicago forum. Banks are expected to tighten credit further as...

It shouldn't come as a surprise that woes in the subprime mortgage market have dampened investors' views on the market. For the first time, Merrill Lynch's monthly fund manager survey asked respondents to rate potential risks to financial market stability. A great majority, 72%, said...

Prior to the Federal Reserve's rate cut Tuesday, money managers had become more risk averse and their investment horizon had shortened to levels not seen since March 2003, Merrill Lynch's September Global Fund Manager Survey found. "At last, the turmoil in credit markets is starting...