A primary focus of allocation, from an economic perspective, is efficiency. Efficiency is achieved when the highest possible level of satisfaction is achieved from available resources. Economists like to see resources allocated in such a way that efficiency is achieved. An allocation is said to be efficient if available resources, goods, and services are distributed according to the economy's highest valued uses.

Consider the following examples of allocation choices.

• Pollyanna Pumpernickel, a typical consumer, visits the local food market to purchase a loaf of rye bread, a jar of Dijon mustard, a package of Swiss cheese, and a few slices of honey-cured ham. She has decided to prepare a ham and Swiss on rye sandwich for lunch. She could have opted for a cheeseburger and French fries.


• Mona Mallard, the President and CEO of Mona Mallard Duct Tape Industries, responds to a surge in the sales of duct tape by deciding to build a new, highly automated factory on the outskirts of Shady Valley. She could have kept pace with demand by increasing the workforce at her current, less automated factory.


• Victor Thurgood, the honorable Mayor of Shady Valley, initiates a program in which one percent of all sales tax revenue is set aside, or earmarked, for the construction of jogging trails throughout Shady Valley. The city could have used that tax revenue to install a system of severe weather warning sirens.