A characteristic of a public good is
A) rival consumption.
B) the exclusion principle.
C) the free-rider problem.
D) clear property rights.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The free-rider problem is a characteristic of a public good. This means that individuals can benefit from the public good without contributing to its provision. Public goods are non-excludable, which means that it is difficult or impossible to exclude individuals from using the good, and non-rival, which means that one person's use of the good does not diminish its availability for others. Clear property rights (option D) are not a characteristic of public goods. Rival consumption (option A) and the exclusion principle (option B) are characteristics of private goods, not public goods.

A Characteristic of a Public Good Is