The public good is an interesting topic for discussion. It is a type of good that is consumed by the population even when some individuals did not pay for it. Two main principles should be noted. First of all, no person can be excluded from the access to it. Also, it is necessary to understand that it is non-rivalrous, and the consumption of a good by one individual does not limit the possibilities of others. One of the most important aspects that should be considered is that the cost of the production of such goods does not increase with the number of consumers. It is important to say that the provision of these goods by the government is dependent on their usefulness for the society. Currently, some issues affect the availability of public goods such as property rights, inequality, efficiency, and disagreements between the countries.
Public health may be considered a public good because government action is often needed to make sure that healthcare goals are achieved.1 For example, vaccination is crucial for the society and has lasting effects because it guarantees immunity against a certain disease, and it can be viewed as a benefit to the public. Many argue that such classification is inappropriate because it can be seen that there are some issues in the health care system that would limit the possibilities of regulations by the government. Intellectual property rights also often lead to the difficulties in the provision of public goods. For example, some medicines that are essential for the well-being of numerous individuals are extremely expensive, and treatment is often delayed. This situation should not be acceptable and needs to be addressed.
There is also an issue with the efficiency of the resources that are spent on this kind of goods. It is caused by the fact that it is rather hard to measure the importance of some of them. Also, many think that too many resources are spent on national defense, and it is also a public good. However, it is justified in most cases because the security of citizens is essential. Another problem is that it is important to consider the needs and views of the society because taxation is often a topic of controversy. The government cannot significantly increase taxes when it is necessary for the production of public goods, and the reallocation of the resources is considered in such cases. Tax evasion is also a serious topic for discussion. Individuals that do not contribute to the provision of public good at all still have a full access to such goods.
It is important to discuss global public goods. The biggest difference is that they are useful for numerous countries. Such global public good as energy is extraordinarily complex to govern, and it is becoming even harder each year because countries are always developing.2 It is complicated by differences in the political views, and conflicts often lead to severe economic consequences. It is extremely likely that the development of new technologies will be necessary to make sure that such systems can be integrated.
Also, there is another significant problem. Many think that water should be viewed as a public product, but it has become privatized over the course of history. It is a huge industry, and companies would not allow such significant changes to happen. There is a major need for the cooperation between the governments because some global health issues such as global warming should be addressed. It can be viewed as a global public good because it will provide benefits for the population of the world.
There is also an opinion that public goods have an impact on the market.3 It is true because customers always consider something that is free over other available products or services. One of the imperative aspects that should be noted that there are no alternatives to some of the goods that are provided by the government, and many individuals have to accept this situation. Overall, it may be both harmful and beneficial for the market economy.
It is also interesting that some scientists have argued that the standard definition of common good is not correct because the way it is viewed hugely depends on the society.4 Some think that such goods can only be provided by the government. However, it is not true, and numerous examples prove that such theories are not correct. They can be produced by individuals that want to contribute to the society and do not wish to get anything in exchange for their efforts.
Also, many think that the quality of public goods would be significantly higher without the supervision of the government, and contractual arrangements should be used instead. Such opinion is extremely controversial because the current system has been quite successful in the past. It is also paramount to say that it is actually possible to limit the access to public goods for other individuals. For example, a road may be blocked, and it would cause some issues. It is necessary to consider other aspects such as private equity that are important when using public goods.5
Also, there is an opinion that higher education should be provided for free by the government and may be considered a public good. The reasoning behind such ideas is that a university can also be considered a public sphere because it is a place of political and cultural importance.6 Some think of higher education as a public good because the individuals that graduate can become core members of society with the skills and knowledge that they have gained. The social benefits are significant and should not be disregarded. The biggest problem is that there is great inequality between the students of different social classes, and it will be nearly impossible for the government to implement any changes to the current system. Overall, it is hard to make a clear statement because higher education can be viewed as both public and private good.
There is also an opinion that the quality of education that is provided by public schools is not satisfactory, and it is caused by the lack of funding. However, the availability of such option is necessary for every country because an enormous number of individuals cannot pay for private schools themselves. It is a known fact that current education system has numerous problems, and some of the policies that are introduced are often questionable, and only complicate everything. Overall, the use of the additional resources should be considered.
Other factors also significantly complicate the regulation of such gods. It should be said that public goods are sometimes connected with private ones. For example, a company provides a range of benefits for the customers but does not ask them to pay for it. However, it is financed by the funds that the firm has received from the purchases. It is necessary to consider the fact that people may be worried if their contribution towards public goods is higher than the contribution of others. It is a psychological aspect that is very often demonstrated by people in numerous areas.
Language should also be discussed because it is hard to argue with its importance for the public, and can be viewed as a public good. The reasoning behind this statement is that it is impossible to limit or prohibit its usage by individuals. The benefits of the language are often disregarded. However, it can be used as a very powerful tool for economic cooperation. The introduction of lingua franca could be a good way to overcome numerous barriers that are currently present in the global trade.7
Another topic that should be discussed is inequality. There are tremendous differences in the consumption of some public goods between the individuals of different social classes. For example, research indicates that citizens in wealthy neighborhoods are much more satisfied with public services that are provided by the government in Cali, Columbia.8 The issue is that some low-income families think that more high-quality public goods should be produced, and they are not satisfied with the current situation. The reaction to the taxation of each social group is dramatically different, and it affects the provision of public goods. It is necessary to make sure that a more fair distribution is considered because most individuals see an enormous difference in the treatment.9 The issue is that opinions of people that provide such services are dramatically different from those of general public.
There is also a discrepancy that can be seen between the qualities of such goods that are produced in the various countries. It happens because there are huge cultural and economic dissimilarities. The biggest one that must be stated is that there are some problems with the definition of the public good because it may become less useful when the number of consumers increases. However, it can become much more valuable when the number of individuals that consume it is increased in some cases. Another imperative aspect that should not be overlooked is that such goods are often under-produced. It is caused by the fact that the government does not view them as necessary, or they require too many resources.
In conclusion, the governments may need to review the current system because numerous issues are present. One of the biggest issues is that astonishing amounts of resources are spent on something that is not a public good. It is such a severe problem because it is a responsibility of the government to provide such goods to satisfy the needs of the society. It should not be forgotten that the central objective of a public good is to provide the population with benefits, and some of the essential ones are currently not provided. The provision of some global public goods requires the cooperation between the governments, and it causes numerous problems. Overall, some of the current issues can be solved if necessary measures are taken, and the policies are significantly improved. Technologies are always developing, and some may be used to address such problems.
Bibliography
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Deneulin, Séverine, and Nicholas Townsend. “Public Goods, Global Public Goods and the Common Good.” International Journal of Social Economics 34, no. 1/2 (2007): 19-36. Web.
Escribano, Gonzalo. “Fragmented Energy Governance and the Provision of Global Public Goods.” Global Policy 6, no. 2 (2015): 97-106. Web.
Kallhoff, Angela. Why Democracy Needs Public Goods. Lanham, MD: Lexington Books, 2011. Web.
Martínez, Lina, John Short, and Marianella Ortíz. “Citizen Satisfaction with Public Goods and Government Services in the Global Urban South: A Case Study of Cali, Colombia.” Habitat International 49, no. 1 (2015): 84-91. Web.
Morrell, Kevin, and Clark Ian. “Private Equity and the Public Good.” Journal of Business Ethics 96, no. 2 (2010): 249-63. Web.
Taylor, Isaac. “Language as a Global Public Good.” Res Publica 20, no. 4 (2014): 377-94. Web.
Tierney, William G. Governance and the Public Good. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press, 2006. Web.