Mixed Economics

Command and market economies both have significant faults. Partly because of this, an intermediate system has developed, known as mixed economies.

A mixed economy contains elements of both market and planned economies. At one extreme we have a command economy, which does not allow individuals to make economic decisions, at the other extreme we have a free market, where individuals exercise considerable economic freedom of choice without any government restrictions. Between these two extremes lies a mixed economy.

Technically, all the economies of the world are mixed. Some countries are nearer to command economies, while others are closer to free market economies. So, for example, Hong Kong has some state-controlled industry, while Cuba has some privately owned and controlled firms.

The aim of mixed economies is to avoid the disadvantages of both systems while enjoy the benefits that they both offer. So, in a mixed economy the government and the private sector interact in solving economic problems. The state controls the share of the output through taxation and transfer payments and intervenes to supply essential items such as health, education and defence, while private firms produce cars, furniture, electric items and similar, less essential products.

The UK is a mixed economy: some services are provided by the state (for example, health care and defence) while a range of privately owned businesses offer other goods and services. The Conservative government under Margaret Thatcher switched many businesses from being state-owned and controlled to being privately owned as part of its privatization programme. This has taken the UK economy further away from the planned system.

Найдите в тексте английские эквиваленты:

избегать недостатков; частный сектор; налогообложение; централизованно принимать экономические решения; на одном полюсе, на другом полюсе; без ограничений; взаимодействовать в решении проблем; пользоваться благами; правительство, возглавляемое…

Переведите и запомните словосочетания:

to enjoy (syn. – to have as an advantage – иметь, пользоваться)

to enjoy a boom

to enjoy a high standard of living

to enjoy a basic standard of living

to enjoy the benefits

Ответьте на вопросы.

1. Are there really pure examples of planned and market economies in the world?

2. What’s a mixed economy? What’s its aim?

3. What type of economy is the UK? is Russia now?

Переведите на английский язык, используя активный словарь.

1. В реальной действительности экономические системы располагаются где-то между чисто рыночной и плановой экономикой.

2. Смешанная экономика – это система, при которой частная собственность и рынок, а также правительство и общественные институты, энергично участвующие в обеспечении экономической стабильности и перераспределении доходов, взаимодействуют в решении экономических проблем.

UNIT 9