Capitalism is one of the systems of political and economic governance that is based on the idea of private ownership of modes of production and capital. In this system, the production of goods and services is done for the sole sake of profit. The goods and services are produced in accordance with the demand and supply from the general market rather than moving with the planned economy system. One of the main characteristics of capitalism is competition between the producers. The participation of government and the general rules and regulations associated with capitalism vary from model to model.
Class Division
Capitalism exists in almost all countries of the world now. This system has made the means of production limited to a small minority referred to as the capital class. The majority of the people make their living by selling their ability to work and being paid a salary or wage in return. This majority is referred to as the working class.
The working class is primarily responsible for creating and producing the goods and the services . These are then sold in the general market for profit, which again is gained by the capital class. This way, the working class is exploited by the capital class. As a result, accumulation of wealth increases with the capital class and is resulting in a huge class differences among people, leading to a distinct higher and lower class.
The Profit Move
The motive for producing goods and offering services in capitalism is not to satisfy the needs of people but to sell them for a profit. The main idea of capitalism is to produce goods and sell them to people with high profit margins, thus making more money than was initially invested in the project. Production, therefore, does not begin when there is a need for a particular good in the market, but begins when the capitalists think that they can sell the product for a profit.
Competition
In capitalist economy, competition is widespread. There is a market competition for selling goods that are similar in nature but produced by different capitalists. There is competition for market share, increasing profits, and increasing the volume of sales by playing with the elements of marketing mix: identification of wants, promotion, and product and distribution. Competition is a major factor in capitalist economy and highly affects the prices of the goods that have to be paid by the general consumer.
