| A | B |
|---|
| business cycle | fluctuations in economic activity: prosperity, recession and recovery |
| consumer price index (CPI) | a measure of changes in the prices of consumer goods |
| demographics | statistics used to gain information about a general population |
| economic sanctions | using restrictions on trade to change policy, usually in dealing with foreign countries |
| entitlements | a required gov't expenditure that continues from one year to the next |
| Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) | a federal regulatory agency created to protect the nation's health by regulating air, water and land polution |
| equity | a system of rules by which disputes are resolved on the grounds of fairness |
| Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) | a federal regulatory agency creates protections for and deals with abuses of air travel |
| Federal Communications Commission (FCC) | a federal regulatory agency that creates protections for and deals with abuses of radio, television and the internet |
| Federal Reserve System | an independent agency of the government whose role is to regulate the nation's money supply |
| Federal Trade Commission (FTC) | a federal regulatory agency that controls all issues of trade, both foreign and domestic |
| fiscal policy | a government's use of spending and taxation to influence the economy |
| Food and Drug Administration (FDA) | a federal agency that regulates the production and distribution of food and drugs |
| foreign aid | money given to foreign countries to help resolve problems |
| gross domestic product (GDP) | the total value of all goods and services within the country in a given year |
| interest rates | the amount of money paid on loans as a fee for borrowing the money |
| International Monetary Fund (IMF) | an organization est. to assist in the regulation of international monetary system and provide aid to nations that need it |
| International Red Cross | an organization that provides aid to anyone in need, usually after major disasters |
| monetary policy | a govt.'s control of the supply of money and credit to influence the economy |
| national security | protection of a nation's borders and territories against invasion or control by a foreign power |
| national sovereignty | the recognized right of a country to rule itself |
| North American Free Trade Association (NAFTA) | an agreement between the United States, Canada and Mexico to eliminate trade restrictions that had existed between these countries |
| North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) | an organization of countries created to protect those countries from threats to their peace |
| price stability | an average level of prices for goods and services |
| United Nations | an organization of countries from around the world that provides medical, educational and political help to international problems |
| stimulate economy | the process that governments use to improve economic growth |
