An economic environment is one in which the internal and external economic factors of a business market influence the operation of a business. Some of these factors include employment, income, inflation, interest rates, productivity and wealth distribution. They impact consumer behavior and harm the success or failure of a business in their domestic and global environment. Verizon-MCI's economic environment, domestically and globally, is critical to the company's continued existence. The company's domestic environment, the United States, has grown much further than its global environment, China. Although there is a difference between the progression of the two environments, Verizon-MCI has been able to withstand the limitations presented by each environment. According to the economist Walt Whitman Rostow's stages of economic development, Verizon-MCI's national environment, the United States, has progressed to the fifth and final stage of economic development, which is the era of production of mass. At this point, the country's economy thrives under capitalism, adapts to mass consumption, and embodies consumerism. The country's per capita income increased and consumers were able to control their consumption, which went beyond basics, such as food, shelter and clothing. There has also been a change in the composition of the country's workforce. The population of skilled clerical and factory workers increased and they were able to “acquire the consumer fruits of a mature economy” (Ferraro, 2010). The United States has become increasingly concerned with social welfare and urbanization has taken place. Additionally, the country has progressed in terms of technology. This progression allowed ...... middle of paper ...... their economic developments. The United States is in the fifth and final stage of its economic development and China is in the third. The United States has managed to be more profitable in its economic development than China. However, each country has been able to maintain some form of progress. The United States has also experienced a succession of social and environmental environments, which has resulted in the country having one of the largest economies. China had to reposition itself economically. The country continues to face social and environmental problems that have caused the country's economic growth to be slower than that of the United States. The country is making changes to its economic policies that encourage social and environmental changes. By applying these changes to its economic policy, China is trying to enter the final stage of its economic development..