Economic Systems: Command, Market, and Mixed
The way in which a society answers the three fundamental economic questions is called an economic system. More formally, an economics system is a process or mechanism for answering the three fundamental questions.
We can classify any type of economic system by two characteristics: who owns the resources? And who answers the fundamental questions?
There are three main types of economic systems: command, market, and mixed. We will briefly describe each of these three types.
Command Economy
In a command economy, what goods and services are produced, how they are produced, and for whom they are produced are all questions answered by government planning. The government makes economic decisions for the good of society. In a pure command economy, all resources are owned by the government, so the government can direct them to produce what is best for society as a whole, rather than what might be in the interests of private individuals. So government owned the land, government owned the businesses, and government even told people what their occupations would be.
Historically, command economies were associated with a political system known as communism, where the goals of society as a whole were given priority over individual goals.
The Soviet Union until its breakup in the late 1980s was an excellent example of a command economy. Cuba and North Korea are good examples in today�s world of command economies.
One of the biggest changes in the world in the last 15-20 years has been the fall of communism and command economies. The number of command economies in the world has fallen dramatically in the last decade.
While the theoretical objective of a command economy is to use economic resources for the good of the whole society, as a practical matter command economies didn�t do that very well. In a command economy, government-owned producers are not allowed to go out of business, so they had little incentive to produce quality products at low cost. Since private individuals could not own means of production, they had no incentive to search for better ways of serving consumers� wants and desires. Rather than growing and prospering, command economies typically were stagnant.
Market Economy
In a market economy, resources are owned by private individuals. The goods and services that are produced are not determined by the government. Rather, production is determined by businesses responding to the wants and desires of consumers. (This process occurs through the interaction of demand and supply, about which we will have much more to say starting next week.) Consumers determine what will be produced. (You might have heard the expression �consumer sovereignty,� which suggests that in a market economy, consumers are king.)
Adam Smith is often regarded as the first economist. In his famous book published in 1776, An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations (often referred to simply as The Wealth of Nations), Smith described the advantages of a market economy. Smith said that a market economy is controlled as if by an invisible hand � producers produce the things that consumers want without government telling them what to do. The invisible hand expression suggests that if the economy allows people to pursue their own individual interests, the result will be the best for society as a whole. Producers who want to make as much profit as they can will have to produce the things that consumers want. Profit thus is an incentive for producers to satisfy consumers wants and desires.
Critics of a market economy argue that while it might do a good job of answering the first two fundamental questions (What to produce, How to produce), it does not do so well answering the third question (For whom to produce). Critics argues that producers satisfy the wants and desires of consumers who have the money to express those wants and desires, while those people without money are not served. In a market economy, critics say, there may be a wide gap between rich and poor.
Mixed Economy
A mixed economy is a blend of market and command economies. In a mixed economy some parts or sectors of the economy are left to private ownership (market) while in other sectors there is substantial government ownership or government-directed production (command). In a mixed economy, government intervenes in those sectors where private ownership is believed to be not in the best interests of society as a whole. For example, in a mixed economy the government might control the production and distribution of health care (as in Great Britain and Sweden). Mixed economies are relatively common in Western Europe, in countries such as France, Sweden, and Italy.
A means by which governments organize and distribute available resources, services, and goods across a geographic region or country
What is an Economic System?
An economic system is a means by which societies or governments organize and distribute available resources, services, and goods across a geographic region or country. Economic systems regulate the factors of production, including land, capital, labor, and physical resources. An economic system encompasses many institutions, agencies, entities, decision-making processes, and patterns of consumption that comprise the economic structure of a given community.
Types of Economic Systems
There are many types of economies around the world. Each has its own distinguishing characteristics, although they all share some basic features. Each economy functions based on a unique set of conditions and assumptions. Economic systems can be categorized into four main types: traditional economies, command economies, mixed economies, and market economies.
1. Traditional economic system
The traditional economic system is based on goods, services, and work, all of which follow certain established trends. It relies a lot on people, and there is very little division of labor or specialization. In essence, the traditional economy is very basic and the most ancient of the four types.
Some parts of the world still function with a traditional economic system. It is commonly found in rural settings in second and third world nations, where economic activities are predominantly farming or other traditional income-generating activities.
There are usually very few resources to share in communities with traditional economic systems. Either few resources occur naturally in the region or access to them is restricted in some way. Thus, the traditional system, unlike the other three, lacks the potential to generate a surplus. Nevertheless, precisely because of its primitive nature, the traditional economic system is highly sustainable. In addition, due to its small output, there is very little wastage compared to the other three systems.
2. Command economic system
In a command system, there is a dominant centralized authority – usually the government – that controls a significant portion of the economic structure. Also known as a planned system, the command economic system is common in communist societies since production decisions are the preserve of the government.
If an economy enjoys access to many resources, chances are that it may lean towards a command economic structure. In such a case, the government comes in and exercises control over the resources. Ideally, centralized control covers valuable resources such as gold or oil. The people regulate other less important sectors of the economy, such as agriculture.
In theory, the command system works very well as long as the central authority exercises control with the general population’s best interests in mind. However, that rarely seems to be the case. Command economies are rigid compared to other systems. They react slowly to change because power is centralized. That makes them vulnerable to economic crises or emergencies, as they cannot quickly adjust to changing conditions.
3. Market economic system
Market economic systems are based on the concept of free markets. In other words, there is very little government interference. The government exercises little control over resources, and it does not interfere with important segments of the economy. Instead, regulation comes from the people and the relationship between supply and demand.
The market economic system is mostly theoretical. That is to say, a pure market system doesn’t really exist. Why? Well, all economic systems are subject to some kind of interference from a central authority. For instance, most governments enact laws that regulate fair trade and monopolies.
From a theoretical point of view, a market economy facilitates substantial growth. Arguably, growth is highest under a market economic system.
A market economy’s greatest downside is that it allows private entities to amass a lot of economic power, particularly those who own resources of great value. The distribution of resources is not equitable because those who succeed economically control most of them.
4. Mixed system
Mixed systems combine the characteristics of the market and command economic systems. For this reason, mixed systems are also known as dual systems. Sometimes the term is used to describe a market system under strict regulatory control.
Many countries in the developed western hemisphere follow a mixed system. Most industries are private, while the rest, composed primarily of public services, are under the control of the government.
Mixed systems are the norm globally. Supposedly, a mixed system combines the best features of market and command systems. However, practically speaking, mixed economies face the challenge of finding the right balance between free markets and government control. Governments tend to exert much more control than is necessary.
Final Word
Economic systems are grouped into traditional, command, market, and mixed systems. Traditional systems focus on the basics of goods, services, and work, and they are influenced by traditions and beliefs. A centralized authority influences command systems, while a market system is under the control of forces of demand and supply. Lastly, mixed economies are a combination of command and market systems.
More Resources
Thank you for reading CFI’s guide to Economic System. To keep learning and developing your knowledge of financial analysis, we highly recommend the additional CFI resources below:
- Free Economics for Capital Markets Course
- Autarky
- Real Economy
- Socialism vs. Capitalism
- Tragedy of the Commons