身边的经济学·社会常识英语30篇（1）
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Why Public Goods Resist Market Provision
为什么公共品难以由市场供给
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Public goods are non-excludable and non-rivalrous, making private profit difficult to capture.
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Once a lighthouse shines, ships cannot be charged individually for its light.
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Firms avoid investing in such goods because users can benefit without paying—the free-rider problem.
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National defense, clean air, and street lighting all share these traits.
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Markets underproduce them unless governments step in with funding or regulation.
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Voluntary contributions rarely cover full costs due to coordination and trust issues.
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Even digital public goods like open-source software rely on subsidies or donations.
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Local governments often fund parks and libraries because their benefits spill across neighborhoods.
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Assigning property rights to clean rivers or stable climate remains legally and technically complex.
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Thus, public provision fills gaps where markets naturally stall or fail.