Deflation is the term in economics for a general fall in prices. This does not mean that a decrease in the price of single good signifies deflation. A "general fall" is a situation where prices across the economy are falling in aggregate. While in passing it might seem like falling prices seem obviously good (who doesn't like cheap stuff?!), deflation has proved to be a problematic phenomenon in practice. Falling prices, for instance, also necessitate falling wages. It is now widely accepted that most episodes of deflation are caused by fluctuations in the money supply. When the money supply shrinks, prices fall as the value of any single dollar is increased by the dollar's newfound rarity. When Bryan criticizes making "money dear" he is criticizing an inadequate supply of money that is unneccesarily driving prices down. When he mentions that there are a few who benefit from "hard times", he hints at what economists have identified as the biggest problem with a bout of deflation. Changes in the price level affect different people differently. For interest, those that have large cash holdings or those that have lent money out with large interest rates stand to gain from the money supply shrinking and their own holdings becoming more valuable. Deflation frequently implies a redistrubution of wealth away from the poor or debtors to the rich or creditors, which can be economically and socially destabilizing. 

Inflation is the increase in the price of something, or the fall of the purchasing power of money over time. Most contemporary economists favor a low rate of inflation that is predictable and steady, rather than no inflation whatsoever, and certainly much more than high and fluctuating levels of inflation. A low and steady rate of inflation, according to the majority of economists, makes it much easier for the economy to recover after a recession or depression.

Consumer expenditure, or simply consumption, measures the economic output that is devoted to satisfying the wants and needs of individual consumers within an economy. Investment measures the amount of output that is directed toward business or other producers in order to grow the productive capacity of the economy. Government spending measures the amount of output that is directed toward government provision of goods and services, such as roads or police protection. Net exports measure the amount of output that is traded with other countries, and since a country can run either a trade deficit or surplus, this component can be positive or negative. In most modern market or mixed economies, people are relatively free work and consume as they choose. As a result, a majority of economic output in most countries is devoted toward consumer expenditures. Some countries have especially large government sectors, where government spending comes close to matching the consumer sector of the economy. In the United States, consumer expenditure accounts for nearly 2/3 of economic output.

In a progressive tax system, the wealthier someone is the higher proportion of tax they must pay. This is the tax system that currently exists in most western countries, including the United States. On the opposite side of the spectrum is a regressive tax system, where the wealthier members of society pay taxes at a lower proportion than everyone else.

Excise taxes are taxes that are levied on a specific good. They differ from related taxes like sales taxes, which are levied at a set rate across all goods sold. Within the United States, gasoline taxes are a prime example of excise taxes. Every gallon of gasoline sold in the United States has 18.4 cents in tax added to its price that ends up paid to the federal government. Many states also levy their own gasoline taxes as well. Federal gasoline tax revenue is applied to the mainentance of the US highway system. Excise taxes are popular as policies that are designed to extract revenue for the upkeep of public systems from those that specifically benefit from said system. Those that pay gasoline taxes are, for example, very likely to benefit from driving their gasoline burning cars on publicly maintained highways. 

Capital Gains Tax is a tax paid to the Federal government on the sale of things such as land, stocks, bonds, property. It is a tax on the profit, or the amount of money you made (the gain), in the sale of capital.

An excise tax is a tax issued on the production or purchase of goods sold within a country. Often, excise taxes are issued by the government to try and prevent certain dangerous or unhealthy forms of behavior, so there are excise taxes on cigarettes for example.

To barter is to exchange goods or services with someone else without the use or exchange of money. Throughout human history, bartering has been a common means by which goods are exchanged between individuals or social groups.

Collective bargaining is the term given to negotiations between an employer and a group of employees—usually a union. The purpose is to agree upon terms of employment, wage, payment structure, and so on.

When Franklin D. Roosevelt assumed the Presidency in 1932 America was at the height of the Great Depression. He instituted a massive and sweeping series of programs designed to extend social security to a much larger proportion of the population and to rescue the economy. Collectively this series of programs is called the New Deal. Historians disagree about the success of these programs, but what is clear is that they dramatically changed the responsibilities and duties of the United States government.