Market system & a command economy try to cope with economy

Question

Contrast how a market system and a command economy try to cope with economic scarcity?

Answer 1

A market system allows for the private ownership of resources and coordinates economic activity through market prices.  Participants act in their own self interest and seek to maximize satisfaction or profit through their own decisions regarding consumption or production.  Goods and services are produced and resources are supplied by whoever is willing to do so.  The result is competition and widely dispersed economic power.

The command economy is characterized by public ownership of nearly all property resources and economic decisions are made through central planning.  For each enterprise the planning board which is appointed by the government determines production goals.  The division of output between capital and consumer goods is centrally decided based on the board’s long-term priorities.