chapter. Each chapter is also subdivided into sections and subsections to
help pinpoint information. For the reader's convenience an extensive
Glossary of Economic Terms appears at the end of the guide. In addition,
as key terms are woven into each chapter, they appear in boldfaced
print. Thus, the design of Basic Economic Principles motivates students,
teachers, and other citizens to consider key economic questions, and then
provides a "user-friendly" format to locate timely, relevant information
needed for their responses.

Economics sometimes has been called a "dismal science." But nothing
could be further from the truth. Economics is an essential part of our
everyday lives. It deals with every production and consumption decision
that we make--how to produce goods, how to spend our limited in-
comes, how to invest our money, and how to meet our personal, busi-
ness, and national economic goals. And while there will inevitably be
debate and disagreement about the decisions people make, there is one
certainty--that the decisions we make today will shape our standard of
living in the future.

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