Which term describes a period of economic prosperity followed by a depression, normally due to lack of resources?

• A. Boom and Bust Towns
• B. Preventing Boom-Bust
• C. Natural Increase Rate
• D. Population

Answer: (A)

The idea being tested is the boom-bust cycle that often happens in resource-based communities. When a resource is discovered or an industry booms, there’s rapid growth: more jobs, money, and people move in. But once the resource runs out or prices drop, activity slows drastically, leading to a bust and sometimes a shrinking population. This pattern is commonly seen in mining or fossil-fuel towns, where prosperity is followed by downturns tied to resource depletion. That’s why the phrase boom and bust towns best fits the description: it directly captures the cycle of prosperity followed by depression caused by dwindling resources. The other options don’t describe this economic pattern—one centers on population growth, another on population counts, and the last on preventing such cycles.