Economy

The economy is the total of all activities related to the production, sale, distribution, exchange, and consumption of limited resources by a group of people living and operating within it.

Frequently Asked Questions
  • What is a command economy?

    In a command economy, a centralized government controls the means of production and it decides the output levels for that production. This type of economy is often associated with communist nations. The advantages of this approach include better equality and lower unemployment, but there is often a lack of efficiency or innovation in those economies.

  • What is a market economy?

    A market economy, or free economy, is directed through the laws of supply and demand to set the prices and quantities for most goods and services. Most developed nations are technically mixed economies because they blend free markets with some government interference such as industrial subsidies, licensing, and price fixing.

  • What does inflation do to an economy?

    Inflation means the rate at which the same goods and services come to cost more. If a person's income doesn't keep up with inflation, it can decrease your purchasing power. It can also lower the value of Treasury bonds. But if some level of inflation is expected, it can drive consumer spending, which drives economic growth.

  • How stocks help the economy

    When the price of a large number of stocks is on the rise, it can lead to higher consumer and business confidence, higher spending on big-ticket items such as cars and houses, and an increase in investors entering the stock market. These factors can all lead to greater economic development of a country.

  • What type of economy does the U.S. have?

    The United States has a mixed economy. It combines elements of a command economy with a market economy. A mixed economy allows for government oversight and regulation to achieve public good while also allowing things like consumer goods and services to be regulated by the laws of supply and demand.

Key Terms

Wall Street Quiet Period
Lehman Moment
Federal Reserve headquarters in Washington, D.C.
What is a Fed Pivot and Why Does It Matter?
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Doom Loop: Definition, Causes, and Examples
Woman at Supermarket
Fed’s Preferred Inflation Gauge Rose More Than Expected in August 2022
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The U.S. Labor Market Recovery in Charts
Basel IV: A package of banking reforms developed in response to the 2008-09 financial crisis that began implementation on Jan. 1, 2023.
What Basel IV Means for U.S. Banks
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Top 25 Developed and Developing Countries
Money
Understanding Money: Its Properties, Types, and Uses
Unemployment Rate
What Is the Unemployment Rate?
aerial view of hong kong
Market Economy vs. Command Economy: What's the Difference?
Wall Street, NYC Financial District
Is the United States a Market Economy or a Mixed Economy?
What Is the Knowledge Economy? Definition, Criteria, and Example
Labor Union: An organization formed by workers in a particular trade, industry, or company to improve pay, benefits, and working conditions.
Labor Union: Definition, History, and Examples
Economy
Economy: What It Is, Types of Economies, Economic Indicators
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Wage Gaps by Race: Its History, Importance, and Impact
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What Is Economic Inequality? Definition, Causes, and Key Statistics
Origins of Black Wall Street
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Social Good: Definition, Benefits, Examples
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What Country Spends the Most on Healthcare?
Black Metropolis
Black Metropolis': What It is, Impact, Criticism
How Self-Driving Cars Could Change the Auto Industry
New Economy: Definition, History, Examples of Companies
American Dream
What Is the American Dream? Examples and How to Measure It
Six college students walk on campus. Four are laughing, one looks at her phone, and one has her back to the camera.
How Colleges Make Money
Businesswoman using laptop in conference room
Wage Gaps by Gender
Centrally Planned Economy: An economic system in which decisions are made by a central authority rather than by market participants.
Centrally Planned Economy
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The Cost of Unemployment to the Economy
Contract Provision: Meaning, Considerations and FAQs
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What Happens When a Utility Goes Bankrupt?
Aerial View of Container Ship Transporting Goods Sailing Across Ocean Leaving the Port
How Importing and Exporting Impacts the Economy
The Prisoner’s Dilemma in Business and the Economy
Bakery owner standing in their bakery looking out for customers in an empty store during a sluggest market.
Sluggish Economy: What it is, Characterizations, FAQs
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Socialist Economy: What Is It, In Theory or Practice?
Workers in a factory arguing with a manager
Unions: How Do They Help Workers?
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How Fire Season Affects the Economy
Juche Tower and Workers' Party monument in Pyongyang, North Korea
Command Economy: Advantages and Disadvantages
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What Is Plutocracy? Definition, Meaning, and Example Countries
Official Strike: What It Is, How It Works, Example
Black Economy: AKA Black Market, Overview and Examples
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The History of Unions in the United States
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Halloween's Effect on the Economy
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How Tornadoes Impact the Economy
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Trade Deficit: Definition, When It Occurs, and Examples
American Federation of Labor union label, circa 1900
The Top 5 Most Unionized Industries
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Kickback Definition, How It Works, and Examples
Command Economy
Command Economy: Definition, How It Works, and Characteristics
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Employability, the Labor Force, and the Economy
Secretariat Building of the United Nations, New York City, New York, USA
United Nations (UN): Definition, Purpose, Structure, and Members
A group of union workers on strike is an indication of organized labor practices.
Organized Labor - Defining Unions and Collective Bargaining
The World Bank
What Is the World Bank, and What Does It Do?
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Economic Security: Meaning, History in the US, FAQs
Blue charts
When Is Inflation Good for the Economy?
The Role of Commercial Banks in the Economy
Wealth: The value of all the assets of worth owned by a person, community, company, or country.
Understanding Wealth: How Is It Defined and Measured?
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Why Is Deflation Bad for the Economy?
U.S. States by GDP per capita, 2017
West Coast vs. East Coast Economy: Which Is Bigger?
Overheated Economy: Factors That Contribute
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Racial Bias in Medical Care Decision-Making Tools
What Are Some Examples of Free Market Economies?
3 Ways Robots Affect the Economy