Chapter 7 of the Bankruptcy Act is designed to do which of the following? a. Establish the rules of reorganization for firms with projected cash flows that eventually will be sufficient to meet debt payments. b. Allow the firm to negotiate with each creditor individually. c. Provide safeguards against the withdrawal of assets by the owners of the bankrupt firm and allow insolvent debtors to discharge all of their obligations and to start over unhampered by a burden of prior debt. d. Ensure that the firm is viable after emerging from bankruptcy. e. Protect shareholders against creditors.

The business cycle is the periodic but irregular up-and-down movement in economic activity, measured by fluctuations in real gross domestic product (gdp) and other macroeconomic variables. a business cycle is typically characterized by four phases—recession, recovery, growth, and decline—that repeat themselves over time. economists note, however, that complete business cycles vary in length. the duration of business cycles can be anywhere from about two to twelve years, with most cycles averaging six years in length. some business analysts use the business cycle model and terminology to study and explain fluctuations in business inventory and other individual elements of corporate operations. but the term "business cycle" is still primarily associated with larger (industry-wide, regional, national, or even international) business trends.