Utah Foundation is publishing a series of research briefs on the economy, examining the current economic recession from a variety of schools of economic thought. These schools of thought represent different approaches to understanding how the economy works and what actions to take when the economy falters. We begin the series with a discussion of Keynesian economics, which is receiving much attention in recent months because of the debate over the large federal stimulus bill passed in February. Understanding these different schools of thought will help readers further understand the roots of the economic crisis and potential solutions.