Inflation
Inflation is the rate at which the general level of prices is rising. High rates of inflation
often are associated with “overheated” economies, that is, economies where the demand for
goods and services is outstripping productive capacity, which leads to upward pressure on
prices. Most governments walk a fine line in their economic policies. They hope to stimulate
their economies enough to maintain nearly full employment but not so much as to bring on
inflationary pressures. The perceived trade-off between inflation and unemployment is at the
heart of many macroeconomic policy disputes. There is considerable room for disagreement
as to the relative costs of inflation versus unemployment as well as the economy’s relative
vulnerability to these potential problems at any particular time.

概括

通货膨胀指物价总体水平的上涨速度。高通胀通常与经济”过热”相关，即商品和服务需求超过生产能力，导致价格上涨压力。多数政府在制定经济政策时需谨慎平衡：既要刺激经济以维持接近充分就业，又要避免引发通胀压力。通胀与失业之间的权衡关系是许多宏观经济政策争论的核心。关于通胀与失业的相对成本，以及经济在特定时期对这两大问题的脆弱程度，始终存在广泛争议空间。