A public good is a good that is intended for sharing among the people of the country and is accessible to many people. It differs from private goods in that it benefits not one private individual, but a large number of people on an equal basis. Public goods can be paid and free. However, the punishment for unpaid use of paid public goods or goods is much milder than private ones. In the latter case, this means theft, which falls under the category of criminal offenses.
A public product (or service) is a benefit intended for public, not personal use. It is used for general purposes. The production of public goods is most often paid by the state. At the same time, using it brings benefits or benefits to a large number of people.
Features of public goods
Such benefits have the following characteristic features:
- They are used by anyone. Forbid a specific person to do this is almost impossible.
- Public goods are non-competitive in nature. The consumption of them by one citizen almost does not affect the possibility of using it by other people.
- Such benefits cannot be divided into separate components.
Public degree
It is not always possible to clearly distinguish public goods and goods from private ones. This division is suitable only for specific positions. Between them are mixed variants, which are much more common than those belonging to only one type.
Strictly public goods include inhaled air, rainwater, the light of a street lamp or a lighthouse, solar and wind energy, etc. With some restrictions, public transport, stations, airports, libraries, theaters, roads and railways are considered to be such benefits. parking.
How the demand for public goods is determined
The total demand for the public good is determined by the amount paid by all consumers per unit volume of the good. Marginal demand is determined by the maximum number of users who can comfortably fit within its borders or use it simultaneously.
The role of the state and private individuals in creating public goods
More often than not, public goods are created by the state. Less often, private individuals become their initiators. In the past, the construction of lighthouses in England was carried out not only by state forces, but also by private companies. The creation of parking lots, buses, cinemas, tourist facilities and infrastructure can also be carried out by private owners.
What are public goods
These goods are called products and services that are used by a large number of people on an equal basis, often for free. These include, for example, road signs, city bins, street lights, traffic lights, turnstiles in the subway, electronic displays, dishes in dining rooms, inventory of playgrounds and many other things. The share of public goods is higher under socialism than under capitalism. However, with any social structure, it is quite significant.
Public Goods Fee
The prohibition of specific citizens to use such goods often makes no sense and can lead to negative consequences. However, in some cases, they can be paid. For example, recently travel on a part of federal highways has become paid. At the same time, it is impossible to make use of street lighting, paving slabs, a breakwater, a lighthouse paid, while charges for a public toilet, travel in public transport, meals in the dining room or use of the carousel in a city park are often set and are economically feasible.
Paying for some public goods is a certain help to the state in creating new ones and maintaining goods / goods that have already been created in good condition. If people do not want to pay for them, finding loopholes for free use, this reduces the possibility of updating them, as a result of which the fund of such objects deteriorates and wears out. The growth in the number of benefits and the beneficiaries themselves leads to the same. The authorities need more money from the budget, which ultimately affects the wages of Russians. At the same time, if the authorities charge too high a price for using goods / goods (for example, the price of a bus fare), then some people have a desire not to pay for a ticket, because such a price seems to be overpriced.
It is clear that this is only one of the many factors that affect the quality of life of citizens, and perhaps not the most important, but also contributing.
The concept of "public goods"
Such ideas were developed by economists. In order to create a theoretical basis for analyzing the costs of local authorities, it is proposed to use the concept of “public goods”. In accordance with it, the most important task is the need to provide the population with public services and goods. Among them are the military-industrial complex, science, the judicial system, environmental protection, etc. All this is exclusively in the competence of the state.
With an increase in the number of users of a particular product or good, it can begin to wear out faster, as it happens, for example, with a roadbed. Therefore, the task of the state is to maintain their condition at a satisfactory level. The most problematic is the deterioration of housing and communal services funds, the fight against which is costly. It is impossible to close our eyes to this problem, since in this case the process of deterioration and dilapidation will continue, until such a fund becomes unusable. The government can cover expenses at its own expense or at the expense of the consumer.
