The United States is one of the world's wealthiest countries. Even so, its economy goes through ups and downs. The economy is a big concern right now for many Americans, as they struggle to find jobs and to pay for their homes. Democratic Senator Barack Obama and Republican Senator John McCain each have ideas about how to keep the country's economy healthy and make it easier for people to find jobs. Here are some of the big questions being addressed in the campaign:

How should the government help people who can no longer afford to own their home? What should the federal government do to help businesses struggling to compete against companies from other countries?
How should the government help people who don't have jobs?
How much in taxes should wealthy people pay, and how should those tax dollars be spent? (Taxes are the money the government collects from people to pay for projects and plans including schools, road improvements and the military.)

Here are some of John McCain's proposals:

• Keep tax rates low for everyone.
• Cut back on wasteful government spending.
• Teach and train Americans so they don't lose their jobs to foreign workers.

Here are some of Barack Obama's ideas:

• Raise the minimum wage to help workers better pay for the rising cost of living.
• Create new laws to protect people who take out loans to own their home.
• Work to keep local businesses successful in small towns across America.