[Related to the Economics in Practice on p. 543] In response to concerns of both the Treasury Department and the Congressional Oversight Panel regarding the value of loans being made to small businesses, the four largest U.S. banks (Bank of America, Citigroup, JP Morgan Chase, and Wells Fargo) all agreed to increase their small business lending practices in 2010. Search the Internet and describe any changes that have occurred in lending to small businesses since 2010. The text states that it is unclear whether the reduced lending is due more to a lack of lenders or a lack of borrowers. Go to www.sba.gov/advo/research and click on

“Small Business Indicators.” Select the most recent quarter from the quarterly indicator menu and describe what happened to demand for commercial and industrial loans as well as the level of optimism for small businesses. What correlation do you see between the changes in lending, the demand for loans, and the level of optimism for small businesses?