The near non-stop flurry of financial transactions occurring throughout the world daily can sometimes obscure the patterns and cycles that direct economic activity. Once merely a theoretical science, economics has become essential to understanding and protecting financial security on the local, regional, national, and international scales. Readers will examine the strengths and weaknesses of the various economic systems, institutions, and structures that can affect the fiscal health of a population as well as the contributions of notable thinkers and theorists in the field of economics. Special attention is given to the circumstances and consequences of the Great Depression and its global impact.