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A comment on the role of prices for excludable public goods

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Abstract

Blomquist and Christensen [(2005). The role of prices for excludable public goods, International Tax and Public Finance, 12 ,61–79] argue that welfare is initially decreasing in the price of an excludable public good and that the case for a positive price for an excludable public good price is weak. We argue that this result follows from their particular characterization of the public good and that an alternative and equally reasonable characterization overturns their result. Hence, the policy case for a positive price on the public good is stronger than Blomquist and Christiansen suggest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Economics, Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA

    Gilbert E. Metcalf

  2. National Bureau of Economic Research, 1050 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA

    Gilbert E. Metcalf

  3. Department of Economics, University of Michigan, 611 Tappan St., Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-1220, USA

    Jongsang Park

Authors
  1. Gilbert E. Metcalf
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  2. Jongsang Park
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Correspondence to Gilbert E. Metcalf.

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JEL Classification H21 · H41

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Metcalf, G.E., Park, J. A comment on the role of prices for excludable public goods. Int Tax Public Finance 14, 685–698 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10797-006-9016-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10797-006-9016-6

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