Introduction
Public administration is a complex system that ensures the wellbeing of the country through the provision of services that contribute to the maintenance of the established order. Different countries provide diverse public goods to their citizens, depending on the political system, cultural traditions, economic factors, and many other aspects. It is essential to understand the peculiarities of public goods and the forces that may affect the development of these services. This paper dwells upon public goods and factors that have an impact on their provision.
Main body
Some of the most common public goods include national defense, law enforcement, and public parks among others. These services are often consumed by large audiences, and these goods are funded by governments since people are often unable to provide the necessary resources (Hyman, 2014). Public goods can be regarded as the services and products that maintain the political and social order established in the country. National defense can be seen as the central public good as these services ensure people’s safety domestically and internationally. Law enforcement has an important impact on society domestically as the services ensure public order and compliance with laws.
Public parks are also rather important, and this type of public goods can have an effect on society domestically and internationally. Public parks are recreational places that contribute to the development of positive relationships between different groups. Parks can also serve as an attraction for international tourists and investors to the country, which has a positive effect on the development of the economy.
The demand and supply of public goods can be affected by various external, economic, environmental, and political factors. For instance, the rise of autocratic power or certain political instability may result in the increased funding of law enforcement (Bryson, 2018). Those in power will try to use this public good to secure their position using the resources they have. External factors, such as international terrorism, may make countries strengthen their system of national defense. The lack of resources and economic crises may lead to decreased funding of various public goods, and education and health care are possible examples.
The way public goods can receive funding is also affected by the existing political equilibrium. Arrow’s impossibility theorem may be used to describe the corresponding case. According to the theorem, a ranked voting system has considerable imperfections as it is impossible to establish a clear order of voters’ preferences when ensuring the adherence to fair voting principles (Hyman, 2014). For instance, when considering the budgets that can be allocated in an environmental program or a law enforcement project, people would choose the former. However, if another issue is offered, people’s decision to invest in the environment may be changed. For example, if a healthcare project is suggested to be considered, people are likely to vote for this public good as people’s health tends to be a priority.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is necessary to note that public goods are essential for the maintenance of the political order. The provision of these goods is also influenced by the political agenda and economic capacity of the country, as well as external and other factors. Moreover, the way and the order the issues are considered can have an impact on the distribution of public goods. The ranking voting system can result in the inappropriate functioning of the system of public administration. Therefore, it is important to make sure that effective strategies and tools are utilized to develop public goods that contribute to the sustainable development of society.
References
Bryson, J. (2018). Strategic planning for public and nonprofit organizations: A guide to strengthening and sustaining organizational achievement (5th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.
Hyman, D. (2014). Public finance: A contemporary application of theory to policy (12th ed.). Stamford, CT: Cengage Learning.