Capitalism is an economic system based on the private ownership of the means of production and its use for the purpose of obtaining profit. This socioeconomic system has developed historically in several stages and is defined by a number of constituent elements: private property, profit motive, capital accumulation, competitive markets, commodification, wage labor, and an emphasis on innovation and economic growth. Capitalist economies tend to experience business cycles of economic expansion followed by recessions. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
Facts
Institution TypeEconomic institution: a system based on private ownership of the means of production, operated for profit within competitive markets. 1 Emergence PeriodTraced in its modern form to the emergence of agrarian capitalism and mercantilism in the early Renaissance, in Italian city-states such as Florence. 1 Sources
1. Capitalism (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationLead section
Capitalism is an economic system based on the private ownership of the means of production and its use for the purpose of obtaining profit.
History section
Capitalism, in its modern form, can be traced to the emergence of agrarian capitalism and mercantilism in the early Renaissance, in city-states like Florence.
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