Advertisement from the German Democratic Republic, telling people to eat carp on New Year's Eve

A German poster from World War I, telling people to use less soap, because it is made from the scarce oils and fats. Ideas include to not hold the soap under water, and do not throw away small pieces of soap

A command economy or planned economy is where the big decisions are made at the center by the government. In an economic system the main decisions are, for example, allocating resources like labour, capital and minerals. Prices, too, are controlled. In a command economy, these decisions are taken by a central body, usually the government.