Public Goods beyond Markets

The aim of the paper is to contribute to a clearer depiction of public goods. The theoretical conundrums of the standard approach are highlighted before discussing a broader view of public goods that includes various types of merit goods. It is suggested that there is no definite technical criterion to decide which type of good should be deemed public: a decision concerning societal priorities is needed. The article therefore discusses who is to decide, and how, these priorities and indicates that voting does not lead to a univocal decision unless appropriate decision criteria are depicted. Public goods should allow people to choose how to organize their society but, in so far as they are not provided, people may be unable to adequately choose the very public goods they need. Elucidation of this vicious circle may provide for a more rigorous classification of public goods and suggest a pragmatic way to bypass it