Answer to Question 1
Oligopoly is an industry characterized by a small number of firms. The firms are interdependent, and they recognize that they are interdependent. This leads to strategic dependence, which means that firms must recognize that their actions will affect the other firms, and they must take into account the actions of the other firms.
Answer to Question 2
Our economy sometimes faces the problems of high unemployment and rising prices. Perhaps most importantly, the federal government attempts to guide the overall pace of economic activity, attempting to maintain steady growth, high levels of employment, and price stability. By adjusting spending and tax rates (fiscal policy) or managing the money supply and controlling the use of credit (monetary policy), it can slow down or speed up the economy's rate of growthin the process, affecting the level of prices and employment.