The economy is in a tailspin, the worst since the Great Depression. Banks and businesses are failing; unemployment is climbing; people are losing their homes.

In October, Congress passed the $700 billion Emergency Economic Stabilization Act to fix frozen credit markets. Today, President Obama signed a $787 billion economic stimulus bill and pledged that more measures will follow.

Questions abound: Is Congress giving too much authority to the Executive? Will government take too much control of the economy and stifle economic freedom? To restore fiscal health, we look to economists for answers. To preserve the proper relationship of government to the economy, we must consult the Constitution.