The United States is widely recognized to have a private economy because privately owned businesses play     21    roles. The American free enterprise system     22    private ownership more than public sectors. Private businesses produce     23    goods and services,     24    almost two-thirds of the nation's total economic output goes to     25    for personal use. The consumer role is     26    great, in fact, that the nation is sometimes characterized as having a "    27    economy"
    This emphasis     28    private ownership arises,     29    , from American beliefs about personal freedom. From the time the nation was     30    , Americans have     31    excessive government power, and they have sought to     32    government's authority over individuals—including its role in the economic realm.
        33    , Americans generally believe that an economy largely with private ownership is likely to operate more     34    than     35    with substantial government ownership. When economic forces are unfettered, Americans believe, supply and demand     36    the price of good and services. Prices, in turn, tell businesses what to produce; if people want more of a particular good than the economy is producing, the price of the goods     37    . That catches the attention of new or other companies that,     38    an opportunity to earn profit, start producing more     39    that goods. On the other hand, if people want less of the goods, prices fall and less competitive producers either go out of business or start producing     40    goods.