Public Goods

Public goods are services or resources that are available to everyone and cannot be easily restricted to certain individuals. They are characterized by two main features: non-excludability, meaning no one can be prevented from using them, and non-rivalry, meaning one person's use does not reduce availability for others. Common examples include clean air, national defense, and public parks. Because public goods are difficult to sell and fund through normal market means, they often rely on government financing and public contributions to ensure they are maintained and accessible to all.