History of Economic Thought

Home » Web Guides » Politics » U.S. Economy

In This Guide

Most Popular

U.S. Economy

The U.S. economy is one of the most important aspects of American society. Not only does it affect citizens on a daily basis, but it is also a pivotal element in determining U.S. politics and government. This guide serves as a brief outline of the U.S. economy, beginning with the basic history of economic policy and then covering present-day federal economic organizations, private economic think tanks, sources for economic news and economic indicators.

Expand All Guide Sections

History of Economic Thought

To understand current economic policies and economic news, take a look at the history of economic thought. The following sites offer an overview of economic theory, some of which predates the American economy. These sites are a good source of information if you’re interested in discovering the basis of the U.S. economy today.

Dulcinea's Insight

If you’d like to read a book about American economic history, try “An Economic History of the United States: From 1607 to the Present”by Ronald E. Seavoy.

For more reading (and some amusement) try “The Ultimate Field Guide to the US Economy: A Compact and Irreverent Guide to Economic Life in America” by James Heintz (Author) and Nancy Folbre (Editor), in association with the Center for Popular Economics.

To learn more about personal finance, visit findingDulcinea’s Web Guides to Finance, Credit, Investing and Retirement Planning.

Dulcinea's Picks

The U.S. Department of State presents an overview of the U.S. economy. The third chapter, “The U.S. Economy: A Brief History,” outlines the history of the U.S. economy from Native American culture to modern times. Visit “How the U.S. Economy Works” to learn about specific components of the American economy such as labor, the stock market and the role of the government in economic policies.

go to site »

The History of Economic Thought Website covers major schools of thought in economic history that date from the preclassical period to the present.

go to site »

EH.Net (Economic History Net) is an organization dedicated to the study of economic history. Visit the “Economic History in the Popular Press” section for articles that have appeared in popular media, written by authors affiliated with economic history.

go to site »

Who knew?

Fact Monster , an educational Web site, provides a timeline of the history of U.S. currency. Beginning with the colonial notes of 1690, this site traces the history of money through the nation’s first bank, the U.S. Mint, greenbacks and more—all the way until the redesigned bills of 2000.

go to site »