The purpose of this book is to help students understand why the U.S. Government is involved in the economy, the underlying social values that government tries to promote, and how U.S. economic decisions affect the global economy. It was designed to give them the background they need to form their own opinions about the role of government in the economy and how decisions made today will affect tomorrow's citizens. Chapter 1 explores the government's role in the economy, including government intervention, the Great Depression, the Post-World War II era, and "Reaganomics." Chapter 2 describes how government affects the economy. Topics include monetary policy, fiscal policy, and trade policy. Chapter 3 examines U.S. values and economic policy. Chapter 4 addresses the United States in the global economy, budget deficits, foreign competition, the domino effect, the shift toward a service economy, and the outlook for the future. The book contains numerous illustrations, graphs, and charts, and provides questions for further student research. (GEA)