The Great Depression was intensified by poor monetary policy, tax hikes, and protectionist trade policies. Likewise, loose US monetary policy in the middle of the last decade helped to set the stage for the Great Recession by contributing significantly to an explosion of leverage and fueling the housing bubble that burst in 2007-2008.
与此同时，经济表现在很大程度上取决于经济政策。大萧条因拙劣的货币政策、增税和保护主义贸易政策而恶化。类似地，过去十年中期美国宽松的货币政策大大提高了经济的杠杆率，助长了房地产泡沫，这个泡沫在2007—2008年破裂，引发了大衰退。