Characteristics of a Mixed Economic System (Cambridge (CIE) O Level Economics)

Revision Note

Steve Vorster

Written by: Steve Vorster

Reviewed by: Jenna Quinn

Characteristics of a Mixed Economic System

  • Any economic system needs to decide how to answer the three fundamental economic questions (see: 2.2.1 The (Free) Market System)

    • What to produce? More weapons for the military or more schools to educate the children?

    • Who to produce for? Only those who can afford to pay for it? Or for everyone in society?

    • How to produce it? Should more labour be used or should the economy focus on using technology instead?

  • A mixed economic system is a blend of a market and planned economy

    • Individuals, firms and the government own factors of production and distribute goods/services

    • In reality, almost every country in the world operates as a mixed economic system

    • Some countries have more government intervention than others e.g. China has more intervention than the USA

    • The higher the level of government intervention, the more the economy will lean towards operating like a planned economy 

  • Governments intervention is necessary for several reasons  

Flowchart illustrating reasons for government intervention in markets: correct market failure, support firms, promote equity, collect government revenue, support poorer households.
A diagram showing several reasons for government intervention in mixed economic systems  
  • To correct market failure: in many markets there is a less than optimal allocation of resources from society's point of view

    • In maximising their self-interest, firms and individuals will not self-correct this misallocation of resources and there is a role for the government

    • Governments often achieve this by influencing the level of production or consumption  

  • Earn government revenue: governments need money to provide essential services, public and merit goods

    • Revenue is raised through intervention such as taxation, privatisation, sale of licenses (e.g. 5G licenses), and the sale of goods/services

  • Promote equity: to reduce the opportunity gap between the rich and poor  

  • Support firms: in a global economy, governments choose to support key industries so as to help them remain competitive  

  • Support poorer households: poverty has multiple impacts on both the individual and the economy 

    • Intervention seeks to redistribute income (tax the rich and give to the poor) so as to reduce the impact of poverty

  • As we have seen in 2.10.3 Government Intervention to Address Market Failure, four of the most commonly used methods to intervene in markets are indirect taxation, subsidies, maximum prices, and minimum prices  

  • Additional methods of intervention include regulation, nationalisation, privatisation, and the State provision of public goods

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Steve Vorster

Author: Steve Vorster

Expertise: Economics & Business Subject Lead

Steve has taught A Level, GCSE, IGCSE Business and Economics - as well as IBDP Economics and Business Management. He is an IBDP Examiner and IGCSE textbook author. His students regularly achieve 90-100% in their final exams. Steve has been the Assistant Head of Sixth Form for a school in Devon, and Head of Economics at the world's largest International school in Singapore. He loves to create resources which speed up student learning and are easily accessible by all.

Jenna Quinn

Author: Jenna Quinn

Expertise: Head of New Subjects

Jenna studied at Cardiff University before training to become a science teacher at the University of Bath specialising in Biology (although she loves teaching all three sciences at GCSE level!). Teaching is her passion, and with 10 years experience teaching across a wide range of specifications – from GCSE and A Level Biology in the UK to IGCSE and IB Biology internationally – she knows what is required to pass those Biology exams.