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ELASTICITY ALTERNATIVES, SUPPLY: The price elasticity of supply can fall into one of five categories--perfectly elastic, relatively elastic, unit elastic, relatively inelastic, and perfectly inelastic--based on the coefficient of elasticity. This table summarizes the five alternatives. These five elasticity alternatives form a continuum ranging from perfectly elastic at one end to perfectly inelastic at the other. The "middle" of this continuum is occupied by unit elastic. in that the "unit" and the two "perfectly" are really borders, boundaries, and endpoints, most of the real world action involving the price elasticity of supply takes place in the two "relatively" alternatives--relatively elastic and relatively inelastic.
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                           MIXED ECONOMY: An economy, or economic system, that relies on both markets and governments to allocate resources. Every economy in the real world regardless of their common designation (such as capitalism, socialism, or communism) make use of both markets and governments and is technically a mixed economy. While, in theory, resource allocation could be undertaken exclusively through markets or exclusively through governments, in the real world all economies rely on a mix of both markets and governments for allocation decisions. Markets allocate resources through voluntary choices made by living, breathing people. Governments force allocation through involuntary taxes, laws, restrictions, and regulations. While everyone likely has their own personal favorite when it comes to using of markets or government to do the deed of allocation, both institutions play vital roles in a mixed economy.MarketsThe key term for markets is voluntary. Markets are the voluntary exchange of goods. No one forces a person to buy a hot fudge sundae for breakfast or work as a sales clerk at the jogging shoe boutique. People do a market exchange because they choose to.An economy that uses nothing but markets to allocate resources is called a pure market economy. This is a theoretical ideal that does not actually exist in the real world. But it provides an excellent benchmark for comparison with real world economies. Economists love benchmarks such as this, especially when practicing normative economics. GovernmentsThe key term for government allocation is involuntary. Governments set forth the laws and rules. If people do not follow the rules, then they are punished. Governments can punish those who do not follow the rules because... well... because that is what they do. Given a choice, people probably would rather NOT pay taxes or have their cars safety inspected. They follow government rules because they have to, because it is the law.An economy that uses nothing but government to allocate resources is called a pure command economy. This is also a theoretical extreme that does not actually exist in the real world. But like a pure market economy, it provides a benchmark for comparison with real world economies. A Real World Continuum| Mixed Economies |  |
If pure market economies and pure command economies are theoretical ideals that do not actually exist in the real world, where does that leave real world economies? Somewhere in the middle. Real world economies form a continuum bounded by these two theoretical extremes.However, noting that real world economies are real and not theoretical ideals does not say much. While all real world economies are mixed, some mixed economies tend to use markets more than governments and others rely more on governments than markets. For example, capitalism is the popular term for a market-oriented economy that leans heavily to the market end. Socialism and communism are mixed economies that lean more (often a lot more) toward government control. Goals and PoliciesAn inherent dimension of a mixed economy is the pursuit of economic goals using assorted government policies. The five basic goals that are generally desired by society are: (1) full employment, (2) stability, (3) economic growth, (4) efficiency, and (5) equity. Governments take primary responsibility in the pursuit of these five goals with a wide variety of economic policies that assist, guide, control, and regulate voluntary market exchanges. Such policies take the form of: (1) laws passed by legislatures, (2) administrative actions taken by elected executives, (3) rules set forth by government agencies, and (4) decisions made through the courts.
Recommended Citation:MIXED ECONOMY, AmosWEB Encyclonomic WEB*pedia, http://www.AmosWEB.com, AmosWEB LLC, 2000-2025. [Accessed: April 27, 2025].
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Today, you are likely to spend a great deal of time waiting for visits from door-to-door solicitors wanting to buy either a wall poster commemorating next Thursday or a pair of gray heavy duty boot socks. Be on the lookout for florescent light bulbs that hum folk songs from the sixties.
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Woodrow Wilson's portrait adorned the $100,000 bill that was removed from circulation in 1929. Woodrow Wilson was removed from circulation in 1924.
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"We succeed in enterprises (that) demand the positive qualities we possess, but we excel in those (that) can also make use of our defects." -- Alexis de Tocqueville, Statesman
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CPSC
Consumer Product Safety Commission
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