Economic interventionism is seen as a feature primarily of left-wing governments which seek to establish or maintain a significant degree of public control over the economy, on the theory that central coordination or state assistance is beneficial and that market forces are not sufficient to produce good outcomes.

Economic interventionism is also perceived in highly conservative or authoritarian administrations which believe that the state has a responsibility to manage and direct the economy for the good of society or the state. These typically see free market liberalism as a threat to tradition, social order and state authority. Examples of interventionist but conservative governments can be found in various right-wing military regimes that have existed in Latin America.