This year's federal elections will involve electing a president, all members of the House of Representatives, and one-third of the Senate. Barring some international crisis, economic issues appear likely to dominate the debates. In past elections, macroeconomic issues related to the business cycle, such as problems of inflation, unemployment, and slow economic growth, were the main focus of debate. Because of the recent overall economic performance, the current debate on these issues has been muted. In its place, debates concerning the distribution of wealth and income have come to the forefront.