https://www.bea.gov/data/gdp/gross-domestic-product

Control / Click on the above (bea.gov/data) link OR copy and paste it in to your browser,

Scroll down. Click on:

Interactive data,

GDP and National Income and Product Accounts (NIPA) Historical Tables,

Begin Using the Data,

Any section, like section 1 - Domestic Product and Income,

Try any table; e.g. Table 1.1.1 Percent Change From Preceding Period in RGDP,

On Top Right, click on Modify. Then change:

First Year to 2000 - A & Q (Annual and Quarterly),

Last Year may stay as 2020 A & Q.

Refresh Table.

It gives you Quarterly or Annual Data for National Income and Product Accounts from 2000 to 2020.

Now, try clicking on Chart (Top Right), then click on Line Chart and / or Bar Chart (Middle Left). After that, click on Gross Domestic Product (Middle Left of page). This gives you information as a Line Chart and / or Bar Chart.

To show this information file in tabular form, click on TABLE,

To download this information file, click on Download (Top Right) and then, XLS or PDF,

To print this information file, click on PRINT (Top Right).

Examine the data (and charts) to answer the two questionsin this assignment. Illustrate your analysis withgraphs from these links and / or other sources. List sources of your graphs and analysis.

1. Use these graphs to determine the stage of the business cycle that the U.S. is now experiencing. Discuss stages of a business cycle including recession, trough, recovery, peak, etc.
2. Although the 2001 recession ended in November, the notion of "poor economic times" remained into 2002 and 2003. What evidence do these graphs give for the pervasive belief in a recession? Consider contrasting the performance of the unemployment rate with the amount of real GDP from 2001 to 2003. The 2008 and 2020 recessions should also be covered to round out your view.