After reading this chapter, you will be able to:

17.1 Understand the United States’ approach to fiscal policy and the tools that are used to measure and implement those policies

17.2 Describe how the federal budget is set and how federal budget surpluses and deficits work

17.3 Explain different approaches to solving the student debt problem and the tools the federal government has at its disposal to try to address the issue

17.4 Summarize the role of the Federal Reserve System in guiding national monetary policy