Societies embrace various economic systems to deal with the fundamental problem of:

• A. scarcity
• B. unemployment
• C. monopoly power
• D. inflation

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the fundamental economic problem that all societies face, which is the issue of limited resources relative to unlimited wants and needs.
2. Recognize that scarcity refers to this condition where resources are finite but human desires are infinite, forcing societies to make choices about allocation.
3. Identify that economic systems (such as capitalism, socialism, or mixed economies) are frameworks societies use to decide how to allocate scarce resources efficiently.
4. Distinguish scarcity from other economic issues like unemployment, monopoly power, or inflation, which are important but arise within the context of scarcity.
5. Conclude that the fundamental problem economic systems address is scarcity, as it underpins the need for making choices and prioritizing resource use.