Economics 101: Private Goods, Public Goods Explained

I’ve been away from the blogosphere (and New Mexico) for a few days because I’m attending the State Policy Network annual Conference in lovely Asheville, North Carolina. Needless to say, I’ve been busy, but learning alot.

Anyway, one thing I just found out about is this excellent, interactive website which helps people understand why some markets are so naturally so competitive (sodas and television sets) and some (military and police) are far less competitive and actually create a legitimate mission for government. While we at the Rio Grande Foundation push hard for increased emphasis on market as opposed to government forces, the site explains some of the potential benefits and difficulties of putting that into practice and some of the reasons politicians and policymakers will give for why markets are not applicable or as beneficial in certain instances.