Question

Economists differ in their views of the role of the government in promoting economic growth. At the very least, the government should
A) Lend support to the invisible hand by maintaining property rights and political stability
B) Limit foreign investment to industries that don't already exist in the country
C) Impose trade restrictions to protect the interests of domestic produces and consumers
D) Subsidize key industries

Answer 1

Answer:

The correct answer is A) Lend support to the invisible hand by maintaining property rights and political stability .

Explanation:

The absence of the government in legislative tasks related to the market is, therefore, one of the main bases of the economic theory developed by Adam Smith throughout his bibliographical work. For Smith, the leaders must deal with other areas of control more focused on defense or justice, leaving the market to its free operation.

The invisible hand presupposes that there is an inertia by which the market and its self-regulation leads individuals to make the best decisions for the majority of the population to achieve well-being. In other words, it is a kind of automatic control mechanism that compensates the actions taken as a whole, regulating social conformations.

Therefore, it is assumed that the self-regulation facilitated to the markets helps to achieve an optimal market. To do this, individuals must behave in such a way that they can act without state mediation and in pursuit of their own interest.

The metaphor of the invisible hand also supposes that individuals are encouraged or held back to produce or not to follow the level of prices that exist in the market. Prices and profits are sufficient indicative to know when to participate in the market or not. Basically, if there is profit in a market niche, this supposes a stimulus for production, while losses lead individuals to quit.