economic system
the method used by a society to produce and distribute goods and services
factor payments
the income people recieve for supplying factors of production. (land, labor, capital)
patriotism
the love of ones country; passion that inspires one to serve his or her country.
safety net
government programs that protect people experiencing unfavorable economic conditions
standard of living
level of economic prosperity
traditional economy
economic system which relies on habit, custom, or ritual to decide questions of production and consumption of goods or services
market economy
decisions on production and consumption of goods and services are based on voluntary exchange in markets
centrally planned economy
central government makes all decisions on production and consumption of goods and services
command economy
central authority is in command of the economy. a centrally planned economy
mixed economy
market based economic system with limited government involvment
market
an arrangment that allows buyers and sellers to exchange things
specialization
concentration of the productive efforts of individuals and firms on a limited number of activities
household
a person or group of people living in the same residence
firm
organization that uses resources to produce a product, which it then sells
factor market
market in which firms purchase the factors of production from households
profit
financial gain made in a transaction
product market
market in which households purchase the goods and services that firms produce
self-interest
ones own personal gain
incentive
an expectation that encourages people to behave in a certain way
competition
struggle among producers for the dollars of consumers
invisible hand
term economists use to describe the self regulating nature of the marketplace
consumer sovereignty
the power of consumers to decide what gets produced
socialism
social and political philosophy based on belief that democratic means should be used to evenly distribute wealth throughout a society
communism
political system characterized by a centrally planned economy with all economic and political power resting in the hands of the central government
authoritarian
requiring strict obedience to an authority, such as a dictator
collective
large farm leased from the state to a group of peasant farmers
heavy industry
industry that requires a large capital investment and that produces items used in other industries
laissez faire
the doctrine that states that government generally should not intervene in the marketplace
private property
property owned by individuals or companies, not by the government or the people as a whole
free enterprise
economic system characterized by private or corporate ownership of capital goods. investments are determined by private decision rather than state control. Determined in a free market
continuum
a range with no clear divisions
transition
a period of change in which an economy moves away from a centrally planned economy toward a market based system
privatize
to sell state-run firms to individuals