This mini-publication discusses the factors that make the U.S. economy the world's most productive, competitive, and influential. It focuses on workers and productivity, small and large business, the service economy, goods and services, the role of government, and the concept of "creative destruction," the process where jobs, companies, entire industries come and go because of their success or failure in the marketplace. USA Economy in Brief includes colorful charts to illustrate, for instance, U.S. annual exports and imports and the U.S. trade deficit.
From the days of bartering in ancient civilizations to an era where two anonymous people on opposite ends of the globe can trade goods online in seconds, markets have changed. But the principles of buying and selling remain the same.
This site delivers information about current U.S. foreign policy and about American life and culture. It is produced by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of International Information Programs. Links to other Internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views contained therein.