Okay. There are several levels to the economy.
Government.
(Government Subsection Chains) (For instance, States, Counties, Cities.)
Businesses.
Families/Individuals.
For the sake of time, I'm not going to include the subsections, since they act as a local government, and generally pass on the same processes as the central government, but answer to the level higher than it. I will answer only to the basic levels and responsibilities.
Government:
Is the main authority on internal economic policy. It shapes the way smaller subdivisions and businesses operate. Owns a certain amount of money in order to use incentives to get people working.
Businesses:
Core providers of employment. They provide the majority of the adult populous (or child populous if you're that kind of country) with jobs. If the economy is suffering, they will lay off workers or produce a narrowed variety of products that they would normally sell in order to stay in business. May rely on government bailouts.
Families/Individuals:
They work for the government or businesses to earn money, and in return, pay taxes to the government. In times of hardship, they will generally have less money to spend or be willing to give in order to support themselves. If they are unable to support themselves, they may be forced out onto the streets or starved.
So yeah, with what you are dealing with is trying to keep businesses and individuals afloat by either providing government work (Public works projects) or bailing out businesses. Pay attention to the money flow and see if it adds up.
