Question

What are the key features of a communist/command economy

Answer 1

1)The government creates a central economic plan. The five-year plan sets economic and societal goals for every sector and region of the country. Shorter-term plans convert the goals into actionable objectives.
2)The government allocates all resources according to the central plan. It tries to use the nation's capital, labor, and natural resources in the most efficient way possible. It promises to use each person's skills and abilities to their highest capacity. It seeks to eliminate unemployment.
3)The central plan sets the priorities for the production of all goods and services. That includes quotas and price controls. Its goal is to supply enough food, housing, and other basics to meet the needs of everyone in the country. It also sets national priorities. These include mobilizing for war or generating robust economic growth.
4)The government owns monopoly businesses. These are in industries deemed essential to the goals of the economy. That includes finance, utilities, and automotive. There is no domestic competition in these sectors.
5)The government creates laws, regulations, and directives to enforce the central plan. Businesses follow the plan's production and hiring targets. They can't respond on their own to free-market forces.