Free market economies stimulate great economic growth because they rely on people to buy and sell things or services proactively. A free market economy stimulates growth because businesses want to keep up with the latest trends and make money. By making money they are able to purchase more goods and/or services to sell and therefore stimulating the economy. If there is only one hair salon within a 200 mile radius of a town, then the owner can charge substantially more for a haircut than a salon with competitors close by. Supply and demand drive a free market economy. If the demand is high and the supply is low, then the price of a commodity will go up. One major problem with free market economies are when an emergency or natural disaster happens. I lived in Miami, FL in 1992 when Hurricane Andrew hit the area. There were vendors and business charging $10 for bags of ice that regularly cost $1.99. Generators were being sold for up to $5000 with a normal value of $500. In an environment where people are desperate and vulnerable the state must step in to regulate prices on goods and services. In the attached link the statement that “The role of the government of a nation is only limited to controlling the law and order of a country and to ensure that a 'fair price' is charged by the sellers,” is very important to sustaining a free market economy.