US ECONOMY

-another name: Capitalism
-closest thing to market economy

How does the US economy answer the 3 economic questions?

-individuals decide what to produce and how to produce it, and what they want to buy
-supreme court decides what we can and can't do

Characteristics:

-private property
-freedom of choice
-profit
-competition

Pros/Cons:

Pros:

-individual freedom
- free trade increases sales and profits for the U.S. businesses, thus strenghtening the economy
- free trade creates U.S. middle class jobs over the longterm
-you can choose your own career
-freedom of speech

Cons:

-high unemployment rate (9.1%)
- free trade has caused more U.S. job losses than gains, especially for higher-wage jobs
- many free trade agreements are bad deals for the U.S.

Examples:

-if customers are not satisfied with one company's offerings, they will look for another choice