The note or the consumer In the United States, consumers have power in the economy because they determine which products are produced. The term 11 is another way of saying that the customer is always right. Consumers \"vote\" with their dollars; that is, they have a say in what is and what is not produced. The Role of Government The government's involvement in the economy reects people's desire to modify the economic system. The result is a 12 or 13 , one in which people carry on their economic affairs freely but are subject to some government intervention and regulation