Final answer:
Mercantilism is the economic system that includes the mother country exploiting colonies for raw materials to bolster the empire's economy and maintain a favorable trade balance. The correct option is b.
Step-by-step explanation:
The economic system where the "mother country" harvests raw materials from the colonies to support the needs of the empire is known as mercantilism. Under mercantilism, colonies were crucial in providing raw materials to the imperial country's economy. Markets were strictly regulated so that colonies had to trade exclusively with their mother country, both contributing to the empire's wealth and maintaining a favorable balance of trade.
The mercantilist policies included controlling shipping trade, relying on cheap labor, and fostering colonial loyalty. These factors ensured that the colonies served the interests of the home nation, often at a cost to their own economic growth and the well-being of indigenous and enslaved populations.
The economic system where the "mother country" harvests raw materials from the colonies in order to support the needs of the empire is mercantilism. Under mercantilism, colonies supplied their raw materials, harvested by enslaved laborers or native workers, back to their mother country, which then sent back finished materials of all sorts. Trade with other countries was forbidden, and the goal was to increase the wealth and power of the mother country.