One way in which economists characterize market is according to the degree of influence that government has over them. A free market is one in which government has little or no influence. In a free market the key economic questions of what to produce, how and for whom will be decided mainly interaction between individual consumers and for private producers – usually business firms. Firms will respond to the demands or anticipated demands of consumers. However, where markets are not free, resource allocation usually becomes subject to some combination of influence by firms, consumers and government. State intervention in market can take two broad forms: