Subsidy
Money paid by a government, usually to one of two groups. The first is consumers, to encourage them to buy a product (such as insulation) or to keep prices down (as in 2022 when energy prices surged). The second is businesses, either to keep them from going bust (and save existing jobs) or to set up in a certain area (and create new jobs). Many economists dislike subsidies, since they distort market signals, unless they correct externalities.
