All worksheets / American Business
Edition 2026Active Merit Badge
American Business
Official Requirements & Fillable Workbook · 2026 Edition
American Business covers how companies are built, funded, and held to account — free enterprise, financial statements, capital, insurance, ethics, and the laws that govern the workplace. Requirement 5 asks you to take one real business and trace all five primary areas through it, so pick a company you can actually find information about.
Key Requirements Covered:
- Free Enterprise & Labor
- Financial Statements & Capital
- Ethics & Corporate Governance
- Real-World Business Operations
10Printable Pages
6Requirements
2019Reqs Revised
What is on the worksheet: American Business Requirements
Every requirement for the American Business merit badge, word for word as published, with room to write under each one on the printed worksheet.
1Free Enterprise, History, and Labor
Do the following:
- a Explain four features of the free enterprise system in the United States. Describe the difference between freedom and license. Tell how the Scout Oath and Scout Law apply to business and free enterprise.
- b Describe the Industrial Revolution and tell about the major developments that marked the start of the modern industrial era in the United States. Discuss three people who had a great influence on business or industry in the United States and describe what each did.
- c Identify and describe to your counselor the five primary areas of business.
- d Explain the history of labor unions in the United States and the importance of labor unions and employers working together. Identify two major labor unions currently in existence.
- e Discuss with your counselor how business impacts the local, national, and global economy.
2Statements, Money, Capital, and Insurance
Do the following:
- a Explain the three basic types of financial statements (income statement, balance sheet, and statement of cash flows). Discuss with your counselor how each statement can help business leaders make better decisions.
- b Explain how changes in interest rates, taxes, and government spending affect the flow of money into or out of business and industry.
- c Explain how a sole proprietorship, partnership, or limited liability company gets its capital. Discuss and explain four ways a corporation obtains capital.
- d Name five kinds of insurance useful to business. Describe their purposes.
3Profit, Sustainability, and Ethics
Do the following:
- a Explain the place of profit in business.
- b Describe to your counselor green marketing and sustainable business practices.
- c Explain how ethics plays a role in business decision making.
- d Discuss the differences between operating a brick-and-mortar business versus an online business.
4The Department of Labor and Workplace Law
Describe the role of the U.S. Department of Labor. Discuss TWO of the following topics with your counselor: Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA), Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), or Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA).
5One Business, All Five Areas
Choose a business and research how it applies to each of the primary areas of business (accounting, finance, economics, marketing, and management). Share what you have learned with your counselor.
6Careers and Business Leaders
Do ONE of the following:
- a Choose one of the primary areas of business and identify three career opportunities. Select one and research the education, training, and experience required for this career. Discuss this with your counselor and explain why this interests you.
- b Select a business leader and interview this individual to learn more about his or her company and career path. Discuss the role ethics plays in making business decisions. Share what you have learned with your counselor.
Two dates, two different things
Requirements Revision vs. Worksheet Date
Scouting America last revised the American Business requirements in 2019. That is the badge, not this sheet — an older year does not mean the worksheet is out of date.
Verbatim Fidelity & Verification
This worksheet was checked against https://www.scouting.org/merit-badges/american-business/ in Aug 2026 and reproduces the requirements word for word. Both dates are printed on the sheet, so a copy in a binder can always be placed in time.
Requirement text is © Scouting America, reproduced verbatim. The worksheet layout and design are original to this project.
Nearby badges
This badge is built around three groups you choose yourself — one of them your own. The work is mostly getting out and meeting people: a festival, a place of worship, a conversation with someone who can tell you what their traditions actually mean. Pick your three groups first, because requirements 1, 2, and 3 all depend on them.
Key Requirements Covered:
- Cultural Community Engagement
- Historical Perspectives
- Traditions & Customs
- Contributions to American Society
American Heritage starts with the Declaration of Independence in your own words and ends with your own family's story. In between you will choose from interviews, local history, film, biography, and song. Several requirements need a counselor's approval before you start — read ahead so you are not halfway into a project that has to be redone.
Key Requirements Covered:
- Declaration of Independence & Liberty
- Local & Family History
- National Symbols & Historical Figures
- Historical Preservation & Careers
