Economic Systems, Capitalism And Socialism - 1829 Words

Economic Systems People can use economic systems to build empires and destroy civilizations. The society s featured in the books 1984 by George Orwell and Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury did just that. Both took advantage of some form of an economic system to achieve their respective goals. Whether it be the command economy of Oceania, or the overly consumerist economy of the dystopian United States, they both employed economics to their benefit. Economics is the science of scarcity. Scarcity is when you have a population with unlimited wants coupled with limited resources. Economics deals with the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. An economic system is how a society deals with these factors. The three main questions that an economic system is supposed to answer are what will we produce? how will we produce it? who gets it? Answer these questions and you have an economic system (Hettige). This report will cover the two main economic systems, capitalism and socialism. Capitalism Capitalism promotes private ownership of the means of production, or resources, to produce goods and services for profit. In other terms, private entities purchase resources; be it labor, natural resources, or factories to create goods to sell for profit. Capitalism promotes that people build up their own wealth and that all, or most, available resources be privately owned. Production in capitalism is controlled by supply and demand and individuals purchase products onShow MoreRelatedEconomic Systems: Socialism and Capitalism Essay1018 Words   |  5 Pagesrelative merits of socialism vs. capitalism, the chief debates that come up are †¢ What would happen if we remove the stimulus for innovation and productivity that a free market generates? This implies having a free market including individual ownership and control, and to varying degrees a laissez-faire government. †¢ Would it be possible to have a thriving society in which we would not have 20% of the population living in poverty and without adequate healthcare, housing or economic security? FundamentallyRead MoreEconomic Systems: Capitalism, Communism and Socialism814 Words   |  3 PagesEconomic Systems 04/22/2014 Throughout history, nations or regions have supported different economic systems. Economic systems control the political economy, markets, consumer and public economics, national income, natural resources and other aspects. The economic systems lead the country towards its flourished and depraved situations. The systems also provide the type of business and government imposed on the societies and the country. Some of the economic systems are capitalism, communismRead MoreComparing Capitalism and Socialism730 Words   |  3 Pagesdominant economic systems we have in the world today are socialism and capitalism. In this text, I will in addition to comparing and contrasting socialism and capitalism also discuss the shortcomings of these two economic systems. Further, amongst other things, I will highlight the overlaps between the two. Capitalism vs. Socialism In seeking to highlight the key differences between socialism and capitalism, it would be prudent to first offer a concise definition of the two terms. Capitalism in theRead MoreEconomics Is The Science Of Scarcity1728 Words   |  7 PagesEconomics is the science of scarcity. Scarcity is when you have a population with unlimited wants coupled with limited resources. Essentially, economics deals with the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The societies in the books 1984 and Fahrenheit 451 both take advantage of some form of an economic system, whether it be the command economy of Oceania, or the overly consumerist economy of the dystopian United States. An economic system is how a society deals with theseRead MoreSocialism And The Second Is Capitalism922 Words   |  4 Pages There are to forms of economic systems that will be explained in the paper. Both of the topics will be about the origins of each form of economic system, what each hopes to achieve, and the pros and cons. The first is going to talk about socialism and the second is capitalism. Socialism is a government run by the public rather than by private individuals. Thus, in a socialistic country, the common public owns the factors of production and makes economic decisions. Therefore individuals do not workRead MoreEssay The Efficiency of Economic Systems959 Words   |  4 Pagesthe differences between capitalism and socialism have led to contradictions in several countries on how to run the country economically, socially, and politically. Between these two economic systems, people usually debate about the role of the government and economic equality. Although, capitalism and socialism have similar characteristics, the differences between capitalism and socialism make capitalism a better way of life. Most importantly, both socialism and capitalism have established effectiveRead MoreCapitalism Vs. Socialism : The Transitional Period Between Capitalism And Communism1330 Words   |  6 PagesCapitalism versus Socialism In the theories developed by Karl Marx, socialism is considered the transitional period between capitalism and communism. For a long time, capitalism versus socialism has been argued and debated. Socialism is an economic system in which goods and services are provided through a central system of government and aims to make everyone equal. They have different forms of socialism that have different beliefs. Some of the biggest disadvantages of socialism are that it reliesRead MoreCapitalism And The United States1549 Words   |  7 PagesCapitalism first originated in Western Europe when merchants would take their products and sell them to the public. From here, capitalism spread to the United States through colonization and over time, assisted in the enhancement of the United States’ economy. When other countries, like the UK and France, had seen this success, they also wanted their economy to be structured similarly to the United States’. For the sake of having a fixed definition of capitalism, it can be defined as an economicRead MoreCommunism, Capitalism, and Socialism Essay652 Words   |  3 PagesThree different types of economic systems used by governments are Communism, Capitalism, and Socialism. Each type of system is unique in different ways. Each has distinct aspects that make it what it is. In communism, the government runs everything and there are no social classes. The government in capitalism doesn’t interfere with any businesses and lets the citizens own and operate them. Socialism is basically a mixture of the two economic systems. The government runs certain businesses,Read MoreSocialism And The Economic System1373 Words   |  6 PagesSocialism serves to satisfy many philosophical questions therefore making it an ideal position in the economic justice debate. In looking into this position we find satisfaction in the answers it affords us. Socialism fulfills the innate responsibility of the government to care for its people. Moreover, aside from fulfilling this responsibility, socialism is the economic system that delivers the highest benefit as applied to the whole. The importance of these answers is that the primary question