Which of the following best describes events in the global economy since 2000?
a. for the first time in the century, the global economy had no major crises anywhere in the world.
b. there was a worldwide crisis of confidence in the market systems.
c. many less-developed nations began looking towards market systems as the preferred method of promoting economic growth.
d. the popularity of economic growth declined.

The stock of grommet corporation, a u. s. company, is publicly traded, with no single shareholder owning more than 5 percent of its outstanding stock. grommet owns 95 percent of the outstanding stock of staple inc., also a u. s. company. staple owns 100 percent of the outstanding stock of clip corporation, a canadian company. grommet and clip each own 50 percent of the outstanding stock of fastener inc., a u. s. company. grommet and staple each own 50 percent of the outstanding stock of binder corporation, a u. s. company. which of these corporations form an affiliated group eligible to file a consolidated tax return?