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Preferred term

rationing  

Definition

  • Rationing is commonly understood as the allocation of a fixed allowance of a commodity such as food, clothing, or fuel to consumers by their government during times of war or shortage, although economists use the term as a synonym for resource allocation. The popular notion is closely associated with civilian experiences during World War I (1914–1918) and World War II (1939–1945) when war induced shortages forced belligerent and neutral states to ration essential and semiessential consumer goods. [Source: Encyclopedia of Consumer Culture; Rationing]

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https://concepts.sagepub.com/social-science/concept/rationing

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