What's the biggest factor affecting the economy?

I think that the banks have a monopoly on American Home owners. If banks kept a low fixed rate on a morgage this economy would be more stable. However, banks are becoming more greedy by switching the rates on unsupecting home owners causing them to loose their homes and in turn banks loose more money. I say, stablize the rate and we will stablize the economy. Then banks will still make money and people can still keep their homes.

Banks are guilty to a point, but when are the PEOPLE who borrowed more than they could afford to pay back going to be held responsible? You surely have heard the old saying, "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is." The Banks and Government should not be looking out for your own good, YOU should be. If you are incapable of doing that, then perhaps a more institutionalized setting would be more appropriate for you. Just saying.

I think GREED has a lot to do with our lousy economy. My Target card APR is going up in mid September and I have the option to opt out and pay off my credit debt with my old low APR and guess what? I will and not only that, I am writing them and telling them how GREEDY they are!!! I mean how much money does Corporate America need? Without the little people buying the merchandise how long do you think Corporate America will be in business? Tisk, tisk on you Corporate American and don't think I am letting you politicians get away with anything. There should be laws that protect the America public from Corporate America.

Wow.. gas prices huh? Thats is whats wrong with this country. People only notice things when it effects them directly. Narcissists. The War on Terror is costing us more an hour then everybody that voted for gas prices so far will make collectively in their life time. But yeah, its gas prices. Ok.

I agree 100% with Eric

The main problem from this list is the war in Iraq. Like Eric said, it's affecting us in more ways than we can readily see. Also, the war is the main reason that gas prices are high and the gas prices are the main reason that everything else is being thrown out of whack. Unfortunately, the main problem is not listed... the main problem in this country is a problem that we've had for 8 years - GEORGE BUSH (he's the real reason the country is in the state it is).

The question IS what's the biggest factor affecting the economy? Hence the reason why people answered with what is impacting them financially...Not "What is the government spending all of our tax revenue on?" The war is spending a ton of our gov't collected money but is it the biggest factor affecting our economy? NO. If the war is to blame as the biggest factor affecting our economy why have we done so well on wall street up til this year when the war started in 2003? Why is it that the cost of gas has only had a real negative impact on our economy in 2008 when the war started in 2003? Why did the s&p 500 report over a 15% return in 2005 when the war started in 2003? Quite honestly our economy was doing just fine until the current senate took over in 2006. SInce then only acheiving a 17% approval rating by the american voters(lower than the guy who supposedly created ALL of todays problems). But then again the only one to blame is Bush and this war we are in.

The war in iraq is the cause of everything,the reason the gas prices are inflated,why theres no extra funding for better medical and why the housing crisis is so vast. Fuel prices affect EVERYTHING. Food costs inflate because the cost to grocers for transport and product. People getting sick or having troubles maintaining health due to healthcare costs. By the way stress affects the immune system. People are stressed out because the cost of getting to work cuts chunks from the average daily living expences. People cant purchase better quality/more healthy foods due to a 2 fold hit !! Less $$ for food b/c they need to feed their cars to get to work to buy food & fuel. 2. food prices have hiked b/c the food & grocer industries are affected in the same way. People eat less healthy and stress out more. 2 super hits on health. If an employee gets sick from these things,they cant work.This means less money or loss of job,either way less income. Now they have even more stress b/c the are faced with the same issue with even less income to deal with it. THEN they must choose between eating and paying their mortgage. SOOO you see..its ALL related. If the govt wasnt spending so much on this crap war,and if the crap war wasnt affecting fuel costs..things would be so much better.THEN maybe the gotvt could spend more on health care and people could start rolling with a healthy glow and and lighter heart and be productive beings to keep this country in a good motion!!

Its the war. How long did we really think we could get away with ignoring the spending? BUT GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS! Its us too! How long did we really think we could stretch out those home loans and borrow borrow borrow? Us Americans, eat too much, spend too much, waste too much and are ready to lynch someone to blame when it catches up with us. Americans are GAMBLERS and naturally born greedy. Don't hate the players, help the players. Do what you can and get out and VOTE, lobby, or change the world; but prepare "You" for the unexpected.

So... now that the gas price is ultra-low (at under $2) and the war is pretty much over (Juarez killings top out now over Iraq)... what's the biggest problem NOW? Economy is worse than ever, so those couldn't have been the main factors. My vote is for overwhelming use of credit by people who shouldn't have been given that credit in the first place - both on houses and on credit cards. Add to that the brutal cycle of people spending less causing major players to do layoffs causing people to spend less...