WHAT ARE THE VARIOUS ROLES IN A CAPITALIST SOCIETY?

• BUSINESS OWNERS - People who own businesses; these people may own small, local businesses or large, transnational businesses. Business owners can also act as business managers but they do not have to.

• BUSINESS MANAGERS - People who run businesses or parts of businesses and get to have control over business decisions. Business managers can also own the company but they don't have to - many business managers work for a business owner.

• CONSUMERS - People who purchase goods and services.

• BANKERS - People employed by banks who are responsible for financial transactions like depositing and withdrawing money, providing loans, helping people invest their money, and establishing credit.

• SHAREHOLDERS - People who own stock in a company, which means that they spend their own money to buy a tiny piece of a company. If that company does well, the stock price will most likely go up and the shareholder will make money, but if that company struggles, the stock price will most likely go down and the shareholder will lose money.

• WAGE EARNERS - People who earn money based on how much work is done. Wages are often paid in hourly rates (ex: $17/hour).

• SALARY EARNERS - People who earn money based on a particular pay period. Salaries are often paid in annual rates (ex: $15,000/year).

• TAXPAYERS - People who pay taxes to the government. These taxes may be in all different forms, including income taxes, sales taxes, property taxes, excise taxes, etc...

• LAWMAKERS - People who work in the legislative branch of local, state, or national government. They get to vote on laws that impact the economy, such as tax rates, worker safety, and trade agreements with other countries.

• GOVERNMENT REGULATORS - People who work in the executive branch of local, state, or national government. They enforce the laws that are passed, so for example they may work for the IRS (the agency that makes sure people are paying the correct taxes), OSHA (the agency that makes sure workplaces follow the health and safety laws), or the FTC (the agency that makes sure we are following all the rules set forth in trade agreements).

• ENTREPRENEURS - People who come up with new business ideas based on creativity, innovation, and novelty. Entrepreneurs can also be business owners but business owners are not necessarily entrepreneurs unless their business is based on a new and creative innovation.

• REAL ESTATE OWNERS - People who own any sort of real estate, including land, houses, apartment buildings, businesses, restaurants, etc...

• JUDGES - People who work in the judicial branch of the state or national government. They help to determine whether or not our economic laws and policies are aligned with the principles in the Constitution and help to settle disputes that may occur between two or more business owners, consumers, managers, etc...

• STUDENTS - People who get an education in order to create more opportunities (including more economic opportunities) for themselves in the future.