1. SS6E5 The student will analyze different economic systems.
SS6E6 The student will analyze the benefits of and barriers to voluntary trade in Europe.
SS6E7 The student will describe the factors that cause economic growth and examine their presence or absence in Europe.
ECONOMICS IN EUROPE

2. ELEMENTS
Compare how traditional, command, and market economies answer the economic questions of (1) what to produce, (2) how to produce, and (3) for whom to produce.
Explain how most countries have a mixed economy located on a continuum between pure market and pure command.
Compare and contrast the economic systems found in the United Kingdom, Germany and Russia
Explain how specialization encourages trade between countries.
Compare and contrast different types of trade barriers, such as tariffs, quotas, and embargos.
Explain why international trade requires a system for exchanging currencies between nations.
Explain the relationship between investment in human capital (education and training) and gross domestic product (GDP).
Explain the relationship between investment in capital (factories, machinery, and technology) and gross domestic product (GDP).
Describe the role of natural resources in a country’s economy
Describe the role of entrepreneurship

3. ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
How do the three types of economic systems (traditional, command, and market economies) answer the questions of what, how, and for whom to produce?
How do most countries strike a balance between having a pure market and pure command economy?
What are the similarities and differences between the economic systems in the United Kingdom, Germany and Russia?
How does specialization encourage trade between countries?
How do trade barriers (tariffs, quotas, and embargoes) hinder voluntary trade from occurring between countries?
Why is it necessary to exchange currencies for nations to trade?
How does the European Union encourage voluntary trade among its members?
What is the relationship between capital, human capital investment, and Gross Domestic Product (GDP)?
How does the unequal distribution of resources affect European countries?
What is an entrepreneur?

4. What is an Economic System?
Every society, whether a country, state, city, town, has an economic system
An economic system is how a society organizes the production, consumption and distribution of goods and services

5. Systems of Economy There are three main types of economic systems
Traditional
Found mostly in societies that are based on farming
People produce enough goods to survive
Either by farming, gathering or hunting
Make their own clothes and tools
Anything extra is usually traded
Command
Government controls what is produced, how things are produced
Government has all the resources and dictates what is to be made and who gets the product
Decisions made on wealth, class status or by position in a waiting line
Market
Based on what the consumers of the country want to buy and sell
Supply and demand determines what is produced and how it is produced
People may own their own businesses
Who gets a product determines how much they can afford to buy it

6. Countries with Different Systems
NORTH KOREA
PAKISTAN
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

7. The Idea of Mixed Economy
Most countries in the world have a mixed economy
Most are in between command and market economies
Because of growing populations, citizens acquiring more rights, the addition of resources and government changes, countries have moved towards mixed economies
Examples of countries with mixed economies
United States
England
France
South Africa

8. Mixed Economy in action

9. Economic System of the United Kingdom
The U.K. has a mixed market economy and it is the second largest economy in the European Union. The U.K. has most of its GDP come from banking, insurance and businesses under private ownership. The government still controls medicine and welfare, but the human capital of the U.K. is very high, thanks to skilled workers in technology, education and entrepreneurship.

10. Economic System of Germany
Germany has a type of mixed economy called a social market economy. The government controls some things, but industry mainly brings in money to Germany. They have a social welfare system for the poor, and their human capital is very high, as education is stressed greatly. Germany has the strongest economy in Europe today.

11. Economic System of Russia
Russia has a mixed market economy, and it is not a strong one. Since Communism ended, the government has given up businesses to private owners, and a lot of the country’s businesses are not functioning due to lack of funds. Russia gets money from selling oil. Their human capital is low due to lack of proper education in schools and colleges.

12. Specialization
The act of concentrating on a limited number of goods and activities to trade
Helps people and companies use resources more efficiently
Allows for increased production and consumption of goods and services

13. Types of Trade Barriers
Tariffs
Taxes on imported goods
Makes consumers pay a higher price for the item
Increase in demand
Quotas
Restrictions on the amount of a good that can be imported into a country
Cause shortages that raise prices
Embargos
Forbids or disallows trade with other countries

14. Currency Exchange in Europe
Currency is the type of money used to exchange or purchase goods
The system of exchanging money internationally is called foreign exchange
Most countries in Europe use euros, which allows for easy exchange of goods in almost all countries in Europe

15. Capital and Human Capital vs. GDP
The knowledge and skills that allow for people to make goods and services for society
Factors
Training and education
Capital
Things that are used to make other goods
Factories, technology and machines
Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
The total market value of the goods and services produced by a country’s economy during a specific period of time
Used by economists to determine how healthy or unhealthy a country is

16. Human Capital, Capital and GDP
The relationship between human capital and GDP is if a country has good source of human capital, the GDP tends to be higher
The relationship between capital and GDP is the more capital in a country, the healthier the country is in the long term

17. Natural Resources in Europe
Natural resources that drive Europe’s economy include
Oil
Coal
Natural Gas
Iron
Forestry
Rivers

18. Entrepreneurship
An entrepreneur is someone who has an idea for a good or service and takes risks to produce the good or service
Entrepreneurs know of the risks before the product is produced
Entrepreneurs help the economy to grow based on borrowing funds, use capital and human capital and natural resources
Europe as a whole does not have a lot of entrepreneurship compared to other continents