LAISSEZ FAIRE: A french term that translates into "leave us alone." It has become the rallying cry for many business leaders of the second estate who oppose government intervention, regulation, or even taxation. It's based on the belief that markets alone can achieve an efficient allocation of our resources. This laissez faire philosophy of should be contrasted directly with the philosophy of paternalism, which essentially says "Government needs to care for you because you can't care for yourself."

     See also | market | free enterprise | market-oriented economy | classical economics | Smith, Adam | efficiency | invisible hand | first estate | second estate | private sector | public sector | government | market failures | externalities | business cycles | unemployment | depression | market control |