This is the 1370th most frequent Spanish word.
afectan
"They affect."
In this sentence, "afectan" is used to indicate that the subject (political decisions) has an impact or influence on the object (the economy).
Las decisiones políticas afectan directamente a la economía.
Political decisions directly affect the economy.
Here, "afectan" is applied to describe the action of climate changes impacting wildlife.
Los cambios climáticos afectan la vida silvestre de manera considerable.
Climate changes significantly affect wildlife.
In this example, "afectan" signifies the direct influence of lack of sleep on young individuals compared to adults.