Google
Monday 
December 8, 2025 

AmosWEB means Economics with a Touch of Whimsy!

AmosWEBWEB*pediaGLOSS*aramaECON*worldCLASS*portalQUIZ*tasticPED GuideXtra CrediteTutorA*PLS
VERTICAL MERGER: The consolidation under a single ownership of two separately-owned businesses that have an input-output relationship, in which the output of one firm is the input of another. An example of a vertical merger would be a soft drink company merging with a sugar company to form a single firm. A vertical merger should be contrasted with horizontal merger--two competing firms in the same industry that sell the same products; and conglomerate merger--two firms in totally, completely separate industries.

Visit the GLOSS*arama


THIRD ESTATE:

Another term for consumers and the household sector. This is one of four divisions of society based on economic function. The other three are government as the first estate, businesses as the second estate, and journalists as the fourth estate.
The notion of dividing society into different "estates" has roots in 18th century France, in which clergy and religious leaders were considered the first estate, royalty and aristocracy were the second estate, and peasants, serfs, and the working class were viewed as the third estate. Inventive journalists extended this classification to include themselves as the fourth estate.

The modern estates retain the essence of this division with an update to the realities of the modern economy. Government leaders and politicians, rather than clergy, assume their position in the first estate. Business leaders, rather than royalty, take over rule of the second estate. Rank-and-file consumers and those in the working class make up the third estate. And journalists continue as the fourth estate.

In past centuries, the third estate included the peasants, serfs, or slaves who performed the dirty deeds for the first two estates. In modern times, this is the workers, taxpayers, and consumers who have limited ownership of and control over resources--often little more than their own labor. The third estate, which forms the backbone of any modern economy, is usually at odds with the business leaders of the second estate. Help occasional comes from the government leaders of the first estate or the journalists of the fourth estate.

Consider the case of Pollyanna Pumpernickel, a divorced mother of two, who currently works as an administrative assistant (that is, clerical secretary) for an insurance agent. Paula has been working in similar jobs since high school. She is paid slightly more than minimum wage, has no savings or financial investments, and generally lives from paycheck to paycheck. Paula is a representative member of the third estate.

<= THIRD-DEGREE PRICE DISCRIMINATIONTHIRD RULE OF INEQUALITY =>


Recommended Citation:

THIRD ESTATE, AmosWEB Encyclonomic WEB*pedia, http://www.AmosWEB.com, AmosWEB LLC, 2000-2025. [Accessed: December 8, 2025].


Check Out These Related Terms...

     | four estates | first estate | second estate | fourth estate |


Or For A Little Background...

     | public sector | private sector |


And For Further Study...

     | consumer sovereignty | government functions | ownership and control | three questions of allocation | economic system | seven economic rules | household sector | macroeconomic sectors | consumption | unemployment | unemployment problems |


Search Again?

Back to the WEB*pedia


APLS

BLACK DISMALAPOD
[What's This?]

Today, you are likely to spend a great deal of time wandering around the downtown area hoping to buy either an instructional DVD on learning to the play the oboe or a small, foam rubber football. Be on the lookout for attractive cable television service repair people.
Your Complete Scope

This isn't me! What am I?

During the American Revolution, the price of corn rose 10,000 percent, the price of wheat 14,000 percent, the price of flour 15,000 percent, and the price of beef 33,000 percent.
"If you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there."

-- Lewis Carroll, writer

AEC
Annual Equivalent Costs
A PEDestrian's Guide
Xtra Credit
Tell us what you think about AmosWEB. Like what you see? Have suggestions for improvements? Let us know. Click the User Feedback link.

User Feedback



| AmosWEB | WEB*pedia | GLOSS*arama | ECON*world | CLASS*portal | QUIZ*tastic | PED Guide | Xtra Credit | eTutor | A*PLS |
| About Us | Terms of Use | Privacy Statement |

Thanks for visiting AmosWEB
Copyright ©2000-2025 AmosWEB*LLC
Send comments or questions to: WebMaster