<P ><FONT face="Times New Roman">The collapse of communism in the Soviet Union and <st1:place w:st="on">Eastern Europe</st1:place> may be the most important change in the world during the past half century. Communist countries worked on the premise that central planners in the government were in the best position to guide economic activity. These planners decided what goods and services were produced, how much was produced, and who produced and consumed these goods and services. The theory behind central planning was that only the government could organize economic activity in a way that promoted economic well-being for the country as a whole. <o:p></o:p></FONT></P>
<P ><FONT face="Times New Roman">Today, most countries that once had centrally planned economies have abandoned this system and are trying to develop market economies. In a <B>market economy,</B> the decisions of a central planner are replaced by the decisions of millions of firms and households. Firms decide whom to hire and what to make. Households decide which firms to work for and what to buy with their incomes. These firms and households interact in the marketplace, where prices and self-interest guide their decisions.<o:p></o:p></FONT></P>
<P ><FONT face="Times New Roman">    At first glance, the success of market economies is puzzling. After all, in a market economy, no one is looking out for the economic well-being of society as a whole. Free markets contain many buyers and sellers of numerous goods and services, and all of them are interested primarily in their own well-being. Yet, despite decentralized decisionmaking and self-interested decisionmakers, market economies have proven remarkably successful in organizing economic activity in a way that promotes overall economic well-being.<o:p></o:p></FONT></P>
<P ><FONT face="Times New Roman">    In his 1776 book <I>An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations, </I>economist Adam Smith made the most famous observation in all of economics:<I> </I>Households and firms interacting in markets act as if they are guided by an “invisible<I> </I>hand” that leads them to desirable market outcomes. One of our goals in<I> </I>this book is to understand how this invisible hand works its magic. As you study<I> </I>economics, you will learn that prices are the instrument with which the invisible<I> </I>hand directs economic activity. Prices reflect both the value of a good to society<I> </I>and the cost to society of making the good. Because households and firms look at<I> </I>prices when deciding what to buy and sell, they unknowingly take into account<I> </I>the social benefits and costs of their actions. As a result, prices guide these individual<I> </I>decisionmakers to reach outcomes that, in many cases, maximize the welfare<I> </I>of society as a whole.<I><o:p></o:p></I></FONT></P>
<P ><FONT face="Times New Roman">    There is an important corollary to the skill of the invisible hand in guiding economic activity: When the government prevents prices from adjusting naturally to supply and demand, it impedes the invisible hand’s ability to coordinate the millions of households and firms that make up the economy. This corollary explains why taxes adversely affect the allocation of resources: Taxes distort prices and thus the decisions of households and firms. It also explains the even greater harm caused by policies that directly control prices, such as rent control. And it explains the failure of communism. In communist countries, prices were not determined in the marketplace but were dictated by central planners. These planners lacked the information that gets reflected in prices when prices are free to respond to market forces. Central planners failed because they tried to run the economy with one hand tied behind their backs—the invisible hand of the marketplace.<o:p></o:p></FONT></P>