KEY ECONOMIC CONCEPTS
In spite of the ideological differences between economics and social work, econom-ics is an extremely important aspect of the public policy debate:
The health of the economy, and therefore economic policy, is vital to the ability of the nation to undertake other policy goals. An economy that is growing at a healthy, moderate rate with low inflation can develop new programs and help those who need assistance. A stagnant economy does not allow for new programs or the expansion of old ones. (Rushefsky, 2002, pp. 53–54)