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Which of the following goods or services are public? why or why not?

a. libraries
b. fire protection
c. television programs
d. health care
e. water for household consumption

1 Answer

5 votes

Final answer:

Public goods are nonexcludable and non-rivalrous; police protection and roads are examples as they provide services to everyone in an area without directly excluding anyone.

Step-by-step explanation:

Public goods are goods or services that are nonexcludable and non-rivalrous, meaning they are available to everyone, and one person's use doesn't diminish another's. Examples of such goods include police protection and roads. These services are provided by the government and cannot easily exclude anyone within the area from benefiting from them.

Police protection is nonexcludable because when the police protect a neighborhood, all residents, regardless of whether they directly pay for the protection or not, are safer. Roads are typically open for all to use without directly paying for each use. On the other hand, streaming music from satellite transmission programs is usually excludable because providers can control who accesses the service through subscriptions and payment requirements.

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