Command economy

High school (ages 12+)
People & Society

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/command-economy

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the key mechanism?Central planning agencies determine production targets, resource allocation, and prices
2. What is the notable historical examples?Soviet Union, Eastern Bloc countries (pre-1989), Cuba, North Korea
3. Why do people want a command economy?People think it can make things fairer and help everyone get needed things like food, jobs, and health care. It also can build big projects fast, like factories or roads.
4. How does a command economy plan what to make?A planning agency collects a lot of data about workers, factories, and supplies. Then it writes a detailed plan that tells each factory how much to produce and how much of each raw material to use.

Means of Production: The resources, factories, and machinery used to produce goods and services.
Economic Calculation Problem: The argument that rational economic planning is impossible without market prices.
Five-Year Plans: A series of national economic plans, typically spanning five years, setting production targets.