US Economy

All but a handful of U.S. states impose some kind of income tax on their residents, paid on top of the federal income tax. Most states have progressive income taxes.

The U.S. national debt is the amount of money owed by the federal government on all of its borrowing programs, including both public debt and intergovernmental debt. Despite many attempts by...

There are always times when the economy does poorly and financial hardship becomes the norm - economic recession is simply a fact of life. Just because there is an economy crisis doesn't mean you...

Economics does not consist of vague theories that are disconnected from real life. Quite the contrary, the study of economics is rooted in the pursuit of rational explanations of human behavior...

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as the Food Stamp Program, is designed to aid low-income citizens in the purchase of food. Many people don't apply for food...

The definition of a Helping Hand program for the disabled is a program or concept which improves their quality of life. There are so many Helping Hand programs with disabled and non-disabled...

When you need to ship a package rather than a letter, the U.S. Postal Service offers options for postage rates. Amongst these options is parcel post or postage.

Predicting how technology may affect ordinary people's lives has never been the forte of federal and state legislatures. As the intellectual-property debate illustrates, technology has a habit of...

Financial depressions mark troubling times for those who are involved as it affects lives from all social classes.

The 1920's in the United States was a period of optimism. The recent creation of the Federal Reserve was expected to add stability to the economy. Speculators rushed to the stock market. The...

I'm an American that is starting to feel the weight of government bearing down on my rights, my way of life and my pockets. I like freedom to choose and it's not always easy to know when my...

For those with knowledge of what the world elite is trying to do, and those with knowledge of biblical principals of the end times, you know that you want to rebel against the global elite. In...

According to the National Bureau of Economic Research, a recession occurs when a significant economic decline lasts longer than a few months. A depression is generally considered a more severe...

Technology is a key factor in driving economic growth. From the development of steam and electrical power to the innovations of the information age, technology has contributed to rising levels of...

Fiscal and monetary policy represent two means to the same end; that is, they are two methods by which governments try to influence the direction of a nation's economy. Both strive for stable...

The devaluation of the dollar owes itself to many causes. As a fiat currency backed by nothing more than faith, the dollar has taken the role of the world's reserve currency since World War II....

Fiscal policies include the government's power to levy taxes and spend revenue on the various public programs and services. Through its abilities to tax and spend, government is an active...

Monetary policy is a primary means by which government strives to influence overall economic activity in a matter consistent with its policy goals. Monetary policy can be expansionary or...

Oil depletion refers to the production of oil at a faster rate than it can be replenished. This concept can be used in the context of an individual oil field or well, but also extends to the...

What if the American economy would collapse tomorrow? Are you and your family prepared for the American dollar to have no value? Economical times are rough and rocky right now. We should not fear...

at a time when everything is up in the air and you feel like losing your mind. how do you stay sane with the economy, in such a mess

The pocket change that clinks in our pockets is the product of the United States Mint. It might be mere pocket change, but these valuable metal pieces keep the wheels of trade and commerce running...

Grants are available for people with disabilities to help them function in life. These grants can come from the government, nonprofit organizations and foundations. The benefits that these grants...

Since 1913, the Federal Reserve has been the lender of last resort and the stabilizing factor for a variety of different situations that have occurred. However, the biggest impact is with...

We all were promised "Change," hmmm... Really? America stands on the brink of a complete melt down, many Americans realize we are headed out of recession and possibly into a second...

The list of emerging technologies is staggering. There is not one part of life that is not targeted by one sort of radical, new technology. The problem remains that private firms that are...

Humanity has been gathering oil from the earth for centuries, but drilling for it for only about 150 years. Early drilling could only pump oil out of sites directly below the oil derrick. Present...

Many government entities, businesses and foundations are providing organizations and schools grant funding in 2009, largely because of the Obama Administration's push to "go green."

One of the proposals to combat climate change is to power cars with hydrogen, which emits no air pollutants or carbon dioxide, the primary cause of global warming. It takes a lot of electricity to...

The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) is a part of the United States federal government. TTB oversees the selling of alcohol and tobacco products. Alcohol and tobacco are the only...

In this article we examine the most important causative factors which have contributed to the fall in value of the US dollar. What our research has found is that while there are variable opinions...

Welfare fraud is falsely claiming or accepting government money used for welfare programs. Many Americans falsely apply for government programs by doing things like claiming less income than...

For the U.S. Census Bureau, CCD means Census County Division.

There is not one agreed-upon definition of a recession. However, recessions can lead to depressions, and the effects are felt as unemployment lines get longer and businesses shut down.

Companies sometimes pay investors directly with profits, often called a dividend. Like all income, earnings from dividends are subject to taxation. Proponents of a tax cut on dividend earnings...

When a consumer purchases a pack or carton of cigarettes, federal and state taxes account for a considerable portion of the price. When the federal government receives tax revenue from cigarette...

A series of legislation put into place by the U.S. government, called the Omnibus Housing Act, dramatically affected the shape of urban housing. Beginning in 1954, these Omnibus Acts progressively...

Nations have imported and exported products for hundreds of years. Many first-time importers, especially travelers who wish to bring back souvenirs, often encounter problems caused by a lack of...

Federal Reserve banks serve as the central banking system for the United States Government and depository institutions. Federal Reserve banks are part of the Federal Reserve banking System of the...

The money that pays for government operations comes from myriad sources. The first and foremost that many people are aware of personally is taxes. You see them when you buy something, when you pay...

It is difficult to ignore the topic of renewable energy, especially hydrogen. Hydrogen has been lauded as the solution to pollution and a dependence on foreign oil. While hydrogen does not emit...

Establishing a minimum wage has always had at least some controversy attached to it. Businesses claim that raising the minimum wage forces them to cut jobs due to increased labor costs and...

Drilling for oil in Alaska and around the Arctic coastline has caused controversy ever since its discovery in the nineteenth century. However, Alaskan oil provides a huge amount of oil to the...

Monetary policy and fiscal policy are the two broad categories of economic management tools that governments have at their disposal. Fiscal policy relates to government's taxation and spending...

The nickel has been in use in the United States since the middle of the 19th century. Since 1938, the front of the nickel has featured the profile of President Thomas Jefferson.

On the face of it, full employment would seem to be a straightforward concept, meaning that everybody who wants to work is employed. However, like many concepts bandied about in political circles,...

The first minimum wage in the United States was set at 25 cents in 1938. Through 2009, it had been raised 23 times, the most recent being on July 24, 2009, when it went up to $7.25.

A government stimulus act is a policy measure, usually in the form of legislation, that seeks to stimulate an economy in recession through a combination of financial incentives,...

Political scientist Harold Lasswell defined politics as the process of deciding who gets what, when and how. Economics is the study of how societies allocate scarce resources, deciding what to...