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4. Competition.

Economic rivalry or competition is another essential feature of a free enterprise economy. Competition, as economists see it, is essentially price competition. The model of the market economy envisages a situation where, in the market for each commodity, there are large numbers of buyers and sellers. Each buyer and seller accounts for an insignificant share of the business transacted and hence has an influence on the market demand or market supply. It is the forces of total demand and total supply which determine the market price, and each participant, whether buyer or seller, must take this price as given since it is beyond his or her influence or control. In theory at least, competition is the regulatory mechanism of capitalism. It limits the use of economic power since no single firm or individual is large enough or strong enough to control a market and exploit the other buyers or sellers.