One important feature that distinguishes a public good from a private good is that
A) only the government can produce public goods.
B) it is impossible to prevent a person from enjoying the benefits from a public good.
C) if you pay for a unit of a public good, you are guaranteed to be the sole consumer.
D) if you consume a unit of a public good, there is one unit less for someone else.
E) Both answers C and D are correct.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The fact that it is impossible to prevent a person from enjoying the benefits from a public good distinguishes it from a private good, which can exclude non-payers from consumption. The other options are incorrect: government production is not a defining feature of public goods (private entities can also provide public goods), paying for a unit of a public good does not guarantee exclusive consumption, and consuming a unit of a public good does not diminish its availability for others.

One Important Feature That Distinguishes a Public Good from a Private