Readers discover what deflation is in global and national economies through accessible, easy-to-understand terms. They also learn how deflation is measured as well as how rises and falls in the Gross Domestic Product describe expansions and downturns in the economy. Japan's "lost decade" of the 1990s is used as an international example to illustrate how deflation affects people. Students investigate the U.S. economy by learning about fiscal policy, deflation, and economic booms and downturns, monetary policy, and liquidity traps. They also learn about "bad deflation" and "good deflation." This straightforward book gives readers a thorough grounding in what happens to their purchasing power with deflation, and how deflation influences their spending decisions, investment choices, employment, income, and loans.