Free market economies still have some government regulation, like minimum wage laws and workplace safety laws. Consider the goals of businesses and companies. Why are these regulations important?

The goal of a company is to turn a profit, the return received after ALL expenses have been met. Workers’ wages are one of those expenses. If minimum wage laws did not exist, then businesses may be tempted to lower wages unreasonably in order to turn a higher profit. In addition, workplace safety can sometimes be expensive. For example, buying dust masks or replacing broken machines can increase the expenses of a business. Without regulation, some businesses may be tempted to focus on increasing profits at the risk of workers’ lives.

Explanation:

i said this and got it right

Market economies need clear rules to function efficiently. Without a legal framework establishing and enforcing property rights and the “rules of the game,” our free enterprise system could not exist. Regulations issued by the executive branch affect every aspect of our lives. From the moment you wake up until the time you go to sleep, regulations influence what you do. Yet most people know very little about the impact of regulations or the process by which they are produced.

the correct answer is “opportunity cost”. opportunity cost is what a company misses out because it decided in one option over another one. in this case, the company decided to invest in building a factory so it gave up another possible benefit or profit in order to achieve success with the factory.  

trade-off is not the correct answer since it is a situation in which you accept losing something in return for benefits in other areas.

and finally, consequence is a general term used to accept what it comes when you make a decision. it can be a positive or negative consequence depending if the decision you took was the correct one.  

answer placeholder because the system is messed up