Skip to main content

What causes an economic recession? - Richard Coffin

2,144,027 Views

24,177 Questions Answered

TEDEd Animation

Let’s Begin…

For millennia, the people of Britain had been using bronze to make tools and jewelry, and as a currency for trade. But around 800 BCE, that began to change: the value of bronze declined, causing social upheaval and an economic crisis— what we would call a recession today. So what causes recessions? Richard Coffin digs into the economic fluctuations that affect our modern markets.

If interest rates are high, companies will:

About TED-Ed Animations

TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »

Meet The Creators

  • Educator Richard M. Coffin
  • Director Nabil Burias
  • Narrator Addison Anderson
  • Animator Nabil Burias
  • Producer Aaron Augenblick
  • Music GDM Production Music
  • Director of Production Gerta Xhelo
  • Editorial Producer Alex Rosenthal
  • Associate Producer Bethany Cutmore-Scott
  • Associate Editorial Producer Elizabeth Cox
  • Fact-Checker Eden Girma

More from How Things Work