In the economic system, choice rests largely with the individual. His preferences go to determine what is to be produced and what is not. Every penny spent on A is a vote in favour of the production of A; every refusal to buy B is a vote against the production of B. The free choice of individual consumers between the goods competing on the market helps to determine what industries can carry on at a profit. The industries that cannot show a profit are not carried on at all. Those that show excessive profits attract competition and expand until people's wants are more adequately met. That is, if competition is possible and effective. But if some commodity is monopolized, consumers may be powerless to get what they want (and will pay for) in the proper quantity. They show their readiness to cast votes for more of the commodity by offering high prices for it. But the election is disregarded. No one is willing to stand against the monopolist. So he is able to preserve an excessive scarcity by keeping people out of his line of business. He makes things scarcer than people want them to be and earns high profits by doing so.