What are the roots of macroeconomics?

The roots of macroeconomics can be traced back to the Great Depression of the 1930s, which prompted economists to analyze the economy as a whole rather than just individual markets. Key figures like John Maynard Keynes argued that aggregate demand drives economic activity and that government intervention is necessary to manage economic cycles. This shift in focus laid the foundation for modern macroeconomic theory, which studies broad aggregates such as national income, unemployment, inflation, and overall economic growth. Over time, macroeconomics has evolved to include various schools of thought, including classical, Keynesian, and monetarist perspectives.