Final answer:
The United States is a mixed market economy with more economic freedom allowing private business and individual decision-making, while Cuba is more of a command economy with government-led economic decision-making. The degree of economic freedom typically indicates whether a country is closer to a market or command economy.
Step-by-step explanation:
Based on the characteristics provided, the United States is considered to have a mixed market economy. In a mixed market economy, economic decisions are generally made by individuals and private firms, but the government still plays a role. This is contrasted with a command economy, where the government makes all economic decisions, typical for countries like Cuba.
Market economies are more likely found in countries with high economic freedom, where businesses can be freely started and operated, and citizens are responsible for their own economic needs and have numerous opportunities. Command economies tend to have more restrictions on businesses, fewer opportunities for entrepreneurship, and economic decisions are largely made by government officials.
Countries more likely to be market economies are those which are ranked high on economic freedom indexes, such as the Heritage Foundation's index. Conversely, countries that are ranked lower are more likely to have command economy characteristics. In essence, the degree of economic freedom can often indicate the type of economy a country has.