ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) refers to three central factors used to measure the sustainability and social impact of a business. It includes assessing a company's impact on the enviornment (e.g. carbon footprint, pollution, sustainability efforts), its relationships with stakeholders (e.g. labor practices, diversity, human rights), and its guiding policies (e.g. board diversity, ethics, executive compensation.)

Autonomous control over a city is defined as complete control over economic (i.e. how tax dollars are spent, how much to tax, minimum wage, etc.) and social (i.e. education policy, provision of services, etc.) policy without governmental oversight over the corporation’s actions in that city. A failing city are cities where, without external help, they can never return to their former level of prosperity.

Nudge policies refer to strategies employed by institutions to prompt or "nudge" people to a particular choice or exhibit a certain behavior. These policies DO NOT include taxes, fines, subsidies, bans, or mandates, but instead are subtle in nature. Examples of nudge policies include automatically enrolling employees in health insurance, placing households under green energy plans, or offering structured repayment plans that prioritize paying off high-interest debt first. Opt-out is possible for all nudge policies.

A debt ceiling is a legally established limit on the total amount of money that the government is authorized to borrow. Debt ceilings may be reviewed and amended every few years typically by the country's legislative body.

Special economic zones (SEZs) are areas that typically feature lower tax rates, subsidized utilities, and lower regulation such as eased environmental or labor standards compared to the rest of the country.