What is the difference between fiscal and monetary policy?

Fiscal policy (government): Changing taxes and spending to influence the economy. Expansionary: lower taxes + more spending → stimulate growth. Contractionary: raise taxes + cut spending → slow inflation. Monetary policy (central bank): Controlling money supply and interest rates. Expansionary: lower interest rates + buy bonds → more borrowing, spending. Contractionary: raise rates + sell bonds → less borrowing. Key difference: fiscal is slow (requires legislation), monetary is faster (central bank decisions).