If you played the public goods game, this can be used as a follow-up to reinforce some of the concepts covered there. This can also highlight some of the different types of goods other than public goods, and the fact that some goods may be partial (or quasi) public goods.
Give the class the Public Goods 2 handout. Divide them into pairs and ask them to fill in the table and then use this resource to draw their answers together and show the suggested answers.
Good/service | Non-excludable? | Non-diminishable/ rivalrous? |
Roads | ||
Flood defences | ||
Sky TV | ||
Police | ||
Cod in the North Sea | ||
Lighthouses | ||
Bananas | ||
Street lighting | ||
Radio broadcasts | ||
Cars | ||
Music downloads | ||
Fireworks | ||
Public parks | ||
National Defence |
Good/service | Non-excludable? | Non-diminishable/ rivalrous? | Type |
Roads | ?Toll roads? | ?(congestion) | Quasi-public |
Flood defences | Y | Y | Public |
Sky TV | N | Y | Club good |
Police | Y | Y but… | Public |
Cod in the North Sea | Y | N | Common good |
Lighthouses | Y | Y | Public |
Bananas | N | N | Private |
Street lighting | Y | Y | Public |
Radio broadcasts | Y | Y | Public |
Cars | N | N | Private |
Music downloads | N | Y | Club good |
Fireworks | Y(?) | Y(?) | Public |
Public parks | Y | Y(?) | Public |
National Defence | Y | Y | Public |