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Samuelson machines and the optimal public-private mix

Author

Listed:
  • Simon Clark

    (University of Edinburgh)

  • Ravi Kanbur

    (Cornell University)

Abstract

Standard economic analysis assumes the sets of public and private goods to be exogenously given. Yet societies very often choose the public-private mix, using resources to convert seemingly private goods into ones with public goods characteristics and vice versa. In practice, we see a bewilderingly large variety of public-private mixes across societies. This papers advances an analysis of the choice of the public-private mix in the framework of voluntary contributions to public goods provision, by envisaging that, starting from a situation where all goods have private characteristics, some goods can be changed to have public goods characteristics at a cost (by purchasing a "Samuelson machine"). It characterizes the jointly optimal choice of the public-private mix and the efficient supply or not of the public goods in the mix. This characterization generates a number of testable predictions on the public-private mix, and on the prevalence of free riding

Suggested Citation

  • Simon Clark & Ravi Kanbur, 2006. "Samuelson machines and the optimal public-private mix," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 8(13), pages 1-11.
  • Handle: RePEc:ebl:ecbull:eb-06h00002
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Sandler, Todd & Tschirhart, John, 1997. "Club Theory: Thirty Years Later," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 93(3-4), pages 335-355, December.
    2. Bergstrom, Theodore & Blume, Lawrence & Varian, Hal, 1986. "On the private provision of public goods," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 29(1), pages 25-49, February.
    3. Keith Hartley & Todd Sandler, 2001. "Economics of Alliances: The Lessons for Collective Action," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 39(3), pages 869-896, September.
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    Cited by:

    1. Rob Moir, 2004. "Lotteries as a funding tool for financing public goods," CEEL Working Papers 0401, Cognitive and Experimental Economics Laboratory, Department of Economics, University of Trento, Italia.

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    JEL classification:

    • H0 - Public Economics - - General
    • D6 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics

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