Financial news today is front-page news. Americans are showered daily with stories about the stock market, the savings and loan scandal, banking catastrophes, trade imbalances, government deficits, inflation, international financial crises, unemployment, poverty, urban plight, junk bonds, and taxes. This book provides a handy reference for those who want to locate information about issues and events in American economic history.

The volume includes concise essays on more than 1,200 topics. Numerous entries provide biographies of prominent businessmen and businesswomen, union leaders, intellectuals, politicians, and government officials. Others cover historical events, legislation, economic terms, labor unions, corporations, interest groups, elections, and economic institutions. The work also includes a chronology of major events in U.S. economic history and a selective bibliography. Cross-references and a subject index are also provided. The work will be valuable to reference librarians in schools, colleges, and public libraries and to individuals teaching economics, economic history and American history.