Passage B: CPU and Memory (1) The USA is often given as an example of a modern capitalist society. However, the State and Federal governments do get involved in providing some basic services. In reality, the USA is a mixed economy but with a much larger private sector proportionally than most nations. (2) The mixed economic system is a combination of both the planned economy and the market economy. The degree of public and private sector involvement in economic activity is determined by the government. Essential services are provided by the public sector, such as state education, health care and postal services. The government exists to redistribute income by providing unemployment benefits and state pensions, for example. In the private sector, profit acts as the motive for firms to provide the goods and services demanded by consumers. (3) In the UK, the public sector accounts for around 45 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) whereas in France this figure is around 43 percent, so both are good examples of mixed economies. Other examples are Australia, Japan, Iceland, Sweden, and Italy. (4) The mixed economic system obtains the best of both the planned and marked systems. For example, necessary services are provided for everyone whilst most other goods are competitively marketed. Producers and workers have incentives to work hard, to invest and to save. There is a large degree of economic freedom with plenty of choices for private individuals and firms. What important idea about US economy does the writer mention in Paragraph (1)?
What important idea about mixed economic system does the writer mention in Paragraph (4)?