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What Are The Three Economic Questions?

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What are the three

Economic Questions?
Students will compare the major
economic systems in the world and
examine their ability to provide citizens
with social and economic freedoms.

The Three Basic Economic


Questions
1. What goods and services should be
produced?
2. How should these goods and services
be produced?
3. Who consumes these goods and
services?

What goods and services should


be produced?

Basic Needs- food, clothing and shelter


Problems in Modern Societies- How many resources do we devote to national
defense, education, public health, welfare,
consumer goods?

- What consumer goods should


we produce?

How should these goods and


services be produced?

Although there are countless ways to create all the


things we want and need, all require land, labor and
capital
The factors of production can be combined in
different ways
Should we produce electricity with oil, solar power,
nuclear, water or coal?
Should teachers have 20 or 50 students in a class?

Who consumes these goods and


services?

How do we distribute abundance?


Who gets to eat a balanced diet and who doesnt?
Who get to buy a luxury car and who cant afford one?
Who lives in a mansion and who lives in the projects?
Factor payments- the income people receive for supplying
factors of production- land, labor, capital and
entrepreneurship.
1. Examples

Who gets what, is the key difference between economic


systems today. Every society answers this questions
based on their social goals and values

Economic Goals of a Society

Economic System- the method used by a society to


produce and distribute goods and services.

Three Economics Systems


1. Capitalism
2. Command
3. Mixed Economy

The 7 Goals of an Economy


1. Economic efficiency- Making the most of your
resources, an economy that cant deliver goods isnt
efficient.
2. Economic freedom- Freedom from government
intervention in the production and distribution of
goods and services
3. Economic security and predictability- Assurance
that goods and services will be available, payments
will be made on time, and a safety net will protect
individuals in times of economic disaster

The 7 Goals of an Economy


4. Safety Net- government programs that protect
people during bad economic times.
Examples5. Economic equity- How much should you get paid
for your services or lack of services.
6. Economic growth and innovation- Innovation
leads to economic growth, and economic growth
leads to a higher standard of living.
7. Value goals- Societies pursue additional goals, such
as environmental protection, universal medical care,
etc

How does this represent


innovation and growth?

How does this represent


innovation and growth?

Market Economy (Capitalism)

Definition- economy based on private ownership were


individuals control the production, distribution and sale of
goods.
Key Person: Adam Smith- Wealth of Nations
Why do markets exist?
1. Markets exist because none of us produces
all the goods and services we require to satisfy
and wants.

our needs

How is money and goods exchanged in a Free Market?


1. In a free market economy, households and
business
firms use markets to exchange money and products.
Households own the factors of
production and consume
goods and services.

The Principles of Free Enterprise

1. Profit Motive
The drive for the
improvement of material
well-being.

2. Open opportunity
The ability for anyone to
compete in the
marketplace.

3. Legal equality
Equal rights to all.

4. Private property rights


The right to control your
possessions as you wish.

5. Free contract
The right to decide what
agreements in which you
want to take part.
6. Voluntary exchange
The right to decide what
and when you want to buy
and sell a product.
7. Competition
The rivalry among sellers
to attract consumers.

Households pay
firms for goods
and services.

Product market

Firms supply
households with
goods and
services.

Households supply
firms with land, labor,
and capital.

Firms pay households


for land, labor, and
capital.

Factor market

The Forces in a Free Market

Self-interest- In every transaction, the buyer and


seller consider only their own personal gain. Selfinterest is the motivating force in the free market.
Competition- Producers in a free market struggle for
the dollars of consumers this is the regulating force of
the free market.
Invisible hand- The interaction of buyers and
sellers, motivated by self-interest and regulated by
competition, all happens without a central plan.

Market Economy- Strengths

Economic Efficiency- as a self regulating system


Capitalism is very efficient
Economic Growth- Free market encourages
innovation which leads to growth
Economic Freedom- offers the most economic
freedom
Additional Goals- offers the largest variety of goods
and services

Market Economy- Weaknesses

Freedom to starve, wealth is unevenly distributed

NO equity or fairness

NO motive to help the poor

Greed for profit can result in dangerous goods being


provided
Poor Product safety

Command Economy

Definition- the government owns both land and capital.


The government decides what to produce, how much to
produce, and how much to charge.
Key Person- Karl Marx: Communist Manifesto
Two types of Command Economies1. Socialism- is a social and political philosophy
based on the belief that democratic means should be
used to distribute wealth evenly throughout a society.
(Welfare Card)
2. Communism- is a political system characterized by
a centrally planned economy with all economic and
political power resting in the hands of the government.
(Hammer and Sickle)

Centrally Planned System

Agriculture- the government created large


state-owned farms and collectives for most of
the countrys agricultural production.
Industry- planners favored heavy-industry
production (such as steel and machinery),
over the production of consumer goods.
Consumers- Consumer goods are scarce and
usually of poor quality

Centrally Planned

Strength- Everyone knows what the plan is


and is focused on completing that plan.
Weaknesses-

1. Unable to pull this off in a modern country


(countries are too big).
2. Inefficient and leads to shortages of needed
items- but a surplus of non-essential items.
(Underutilization)
3. Responds slowly to change
4. No worker incentives

Mixed Economies

Definition- an economy that is a mixture of


both command and market economies. There
are no pure forms of either, most countries
have some government intervention.
Give Three Examples of Positive Government
Intervention
1.
2.
3.

Circular Flow Diagram of a Mixed Economy


Product market
monetary flow
physical flow

ta
x

Households

t
en s
m e
rn as
e
h
v c
gopur

es

expenditures

Government

expenditures

t- s
e n to r
n m f ac
r
ve ed
go wn
o
physical flow
monetary flow

Factor market

ta
xe
s

Firms

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