True public goods are those which cannot be provided to one group of consumers, without being provided to any other consumers who desire them. Thus they are “non-excludable.” Examples include radio and television broadcasts, the services of a lighthouse, national security, and a clean environment. Private markets typically underinvest in the provision of public goods, since it’s very difficult to collect revenue from their consumers. More broadly, public goods can refer to any goods or services provided by government as a result of an inability of the private sector to supply those products in acceptable quantity, quality,
or accessibility.
Definition