6. The idea that firms and resource suppliers in seeking to further their own self-interests in a competitive market economy also simultaneously promotes the public or social interest is a description of:
A. The guiding function of prices
B. Capital accumulation
C. The “invisible hand”
D. “Dollar votes”

Question

6.    The idea that firms and resource suppliers in seeking to further their own self-interests in a competitive market economy also simultaneously promotes the public or social interest is a description of:
A.    The guiding function of prices
B.    Capital accumulation
C.    The “invisible hand”
D.    “Dollar votes”

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

In this question, we are asked to identify which concept describes how firms and resource suppliers pursuing their own self-interests in a competitive market can simultaneously promote the public or social interest.
Option A: 'The guiding function of prices' refers to prices signaling to buyers and sellers what to do in a market, coordinating decisions. While prices play a crucial role in allocation, this description focuses on price signals rather than the broader idea that self-interest leads to social good; it is not the classic framing of the statement in question.
Option B: 'Capital accumulation' denotes the process of reinvestment and growth of wealth within an economy. This is about the buildup of capital, not about the alignment of individual self-interest with social outcomes in a market mechanism.
Option C: 'The invisible hand' is the famous metaphor introduced by Adam Smith describing how individuals pursuing their own gain can inadvertently promote the overall social welfare through the price mechanism and voluntary exchanges in a competitive market. This directly matches the description given in the question.
Option D: 'Dollar votes' refers to consumer choices in markets as a way to allocate resources, emphasizing how spending patterns influence production. While related to market dynamics and can influence social outcomes, the phrasing in the question best aligns with the broader concept of the invisible hand rather than the more specific idea of dollar voting.
Therefore, option C is the correct descriptor of the idea that self-interested actions in a competitive market can promote public or social interest, encapsulated by the invisible hand concept.

ECNM1116.32925.202530 Practice Quiz 2 The Market System and the Circular Flow

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