All societies develop a system for answering the three basic economic questions what goods and services should be produced, how should they be produced, and who will consume them? These systems range from free market systems, in which individuals and firms are free to act in their own economic self-interest, to centrally planned economies governed by a central authority. The United States system features a high degree of economic freedom with a limited amount of government involvement in economic matters.
What goals and values affect how a society answers the key economic questions?
What are the characteristics of a free market economy?
What are the characteristics of a centrally planned economy?
What are the characteristics of a mixed economy?
What are the benefits of free enterprise?
How does the U.S. government promote growth and stability?
Why does a society provide public goods?
Who benefits from the free market economy?