Unless we understand economics, I don't think we understand very much at all. Different systems have been devised to decide how a country answers the basic questions of what to produce, how to produce it, and how to distribute it among the populace.
Some nations rely mostly on tradition, others on planning.
For the United States, the market dominates. Some colleges take a doctrinaire approach to economics, with everyone in the department subscribing to the same set of theories. This is a course for anyone, regardless of major, who wants an overview of how we earn our income and spend it, as well as how those decisions affect the country's broader social, political, and economic environment. It is designed for those whose interests run from art to zoology. A second tier of courses offers a more detailed examination of particular subject areas and attracts majors and nonmajors alike.