Capitalism Flashcards
What is capitalism
An economic system in which private individuals or businesses own capital goods.
The production of goods and services is based on
Supply and demand in the general market - known as a market economy - rather than through central planning- known as a planned economy or command economy
The purest form of capitalism is
free market or laissez-faire capitalism
The liaises-faire marketplace operates without
Checks or controls
Capitalism depends on the enforcement of private property rights
Which provide incentives for investment in and productive use of productive capital
Capitalism developed historically out of previous systems of
Feudalism and mercantilism in Europe, and dramatically expanded industrialization and the large-scale availability of mass-market consumer goods.
Pure capitalism can be contrasted with pure socialism (where all means of production are collective or state-owned) and
Mixed economies (which lie on a continuum between pure capitalism and pure socialism)
The real-world practice of capitalism typically involves some degree of so-called ”crony capitalism” due to the demands from
Business for favorable government intervention and governments’ incentive to intervene in the economy.
Private property rights are
Fundamental to capitalism
Most modern concepts of private property stem from John locke’s theory of homesteadin, in which
Human beings claim ownership through mixing their labor with unclaimed resources.
Once owned, the only legitimate means of transferring property are through
Voluntary exchange, gifts, inheritance, or re-homesteading of abandoned property.
Private property promotes efficiency by
Giving the owner of resources an incentive to maximize the value of their property
A capitalist society will rely on the use of
Contracts, fair dealing, and tort law to facilitate and enforce these private property rights
When a property is not privately owned but shared by the public,
A problem known as the tragedy of the commons can emerge
Profits are closely associated with the concept of
Private property