与政府存在合约关系的美国公司经常面临这样的选择，究竟购买价格昂贵的本土产品，还是价格低廉的外来产品。如果公司选择购买本土产品，可能会因为未能把价格压低而激怒纳税人。但如果购买外来产品，则可能让美国工人面临失业危机。最近，美国国会通过法律，勒令与政府签过合同

Since my parents divorce, I have changed from a spoiled child to a reasonably normal college student. Before the divorce, I expected my mother to wait on me. She did my laundry, cooked, and cleaned up after meals, and even made my bed. My father left when I was 15, and things changed. When Mom got a fulltime job to support us, I was the one with the free time to do housework. Also, I got a part-time job on weekends to earn my own spending money. It was hard, but I’m glad not be that spoiled kid anymore.

American companies under ,government contract are often faced with the choice of buying American- made goods, which are expensive, and foreign-made goods, which are cheap. If the company buys American goods, it may anger taxpayers by failing to keep prices low. But if it buys foreign goods, it may endanger the jobs of American workers. Recently, Congress has passed a law compelling American companies with government contracts to give preference to domestic goods and services.