Question

Mikesell, J. L. (2018). Fiscal administration: Analysis and applications for the public sector (10th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning (ISBN: 978-1-305-95368-0)

Many local governments in the United States operate public libraries that provide books, reference materials, Internet access, public meeting space, genealogical assistance, and other information/education services at no charge.

Answer the following questions:

1. Are the services of these local libraries pure public goods? Why or why not?

2. What government functions are these public libraries seeking to serve?

3. What privatization options might be possible?

4. What library services should be free and what could be subject to a charge? Why?

5. What would be the concerns raised if many services were made available only on a charge basis?

Answer 1

1. The library and other learning services are not public goods because they are not one of the essential commodities ike electiricity, water and roads which are indispensible for civic life, which can't exclude anyone from availing the facility. These services are for the benefit of the people willing to learn or augment their knowledge of skills, but can exclude the people or group of them from availing them, to facilitate leaning for bona fide people and to ensure that decorrum, discipline and order can be maintained and the purpose of having these facilities remains relevant. For example, a library can't allow a group of druncards or anti socials or other unruly people for common good.

2. The facilities serve the welfare objective of the government to facilitate learning and helping the people who would otherwise find it difficult to afford these services. These facilities fulfill the development objectives of the government. helping it to develop its human resources.

3. Privatisation is possible, particularly in the technology related services where the government might lack expertise to be up to date in providing safe and efficient access to the users. Other options are in provision of learning resources, many of them comprise of  the upcoming new technologies and are available through leading outside players,

1. The library and other learning services are not public goods because they are not one of the essential commodities ike electiricity, water and roads which are indispensible for civic life, which can't exclude anyone from availing the facility. These services are for the benefit of the people willing to learn or augment their knowledge of skills, but can exclude the people or group of them from availing them, to facilitate leaning for bona fide people and to ensure that decorrum, discipline and order can be maintained and the purpose of having these facilities remains relevant. For example, a library can't allow a group of druncards or anti socials or other unruly people for common good.

2. The facilities serve the welfare objective of the government to facilitate learning and helping the people who would otherwise find it difficult to afford these services. These facilities fulfill the development objectives of the government. helping it to develop its human resources.

3. Privatisation is possible, particularly in the technology related services where the government might lack expertise to be up to date in providing safe and efficient access to the users. Other options are in provision of learning resources, many of them comprise of  the upcoming new technologies and are available through leading outside players,

1. The library and other learning services are not public goods because they are not one of the essential commodities ike electiricity, water and roads which are indispensible for civic life, which can't exclude anyone from availing the facility. These services are for the benefit of the people willing to learn or augment their knowledge of skills, but can exclude the people or group of them from availing them, to facilitate leaning for bona fide people and to ensure that decorrum, discipline and order can be maintained and the purpose of having these facilities remains relevant. For example, a library can't allow a group of druncards or anti socials or other unruly people for common good.

2. The facilities serve the welfare objective of the government to facilitate learning and helping the people who would otherwise find it difficult to afford these services. These facilities fulfill the development objectives of the government. helping it to develop its human resources.

3. Privatisation is possible, particularly in the technology related services where the government might lack expertise to be up to date in providing safe and efficient access to the users. Other options are in provision of learning resources, many of them comprise of  the upcoming new technologies and are available through leading outside players of tnd

1. The library and other learning services are not public goods because they are not one of the essential commodities ike electiricity, water and roads which are indispensible for civic life, which can't exclude anyone from availing the facility. These services are for the benefit of the people willing to learn or augment their knowledge of skills, but can exclude the people or group of them from availing them, to facilitate leaning for bona fide people and to ensure that decorrum, discipline and order can be maintained and the purpose of having these facilities remains relevant. For example, a library can't allow a group of druncards or anti socials or other unruly people for common good.

2. The facilities serve the welfare objective of the government to facilitate learning and helping the people who would otherwise find it difficult to afford these services. These facilities fulfill the development objectives of the government. helping it to develop its human resources.

3. Privatisation is possible, particularly in the technology related services where the government might lack expertise to be up to date in providing safe and efficient access to the users. Other options are in provision of learning resources, many of them comprise of  the upcoming new technologies and are available through leading outside players of tre necess

1. The library and other learning services are not public goods because they are not one of the essential commodities ike electiricity, water and roads which are indispensible for civic life, which can't exclude anyone from availing the facility. These services are for the benefit of the people willing to learn or augment their knowledge of skills, but can exclude the people or group of them from availing them, to facilitate leaning for bona fide people and to ensure that decorrum, discipline and order can be maintained and the purpose of having these facilities remains relevant. For example, a library can't allow a group of druncards or anti socials or other unruly people for common good.

2. The facilities serve the welfare objective of the government to facilitate learning and helping the people who would otherwise find it difficult to afford these services. These facilities fulfill the development objectives of the government. helping it to develop its human resources.

3. Privatisation is possible, particularly in the technology related services where the government might lack expertise to be up to date in providing safe and efficient access to the users. Other options are in provision of learning resources, many of them comprise of  the upcoming new technologies and are available through leading outside players of try for upd

1. The library and other learning services are not public goods because they are not one of the essential commodities ike electiricity, water and roads which are indispensible for civic life, which can't exclude anyone from availing the facility. These services are for the benefit of the people willing to learn or augment their knowledge of skills, but can exclude the people or group of them from availing them, to facilitate leaning for bona fide people and to ensure that decorrum, discipline and order can be maintained and the purpose of having these facilities remains relevant. For example, a library can't allow a group of druncards or anti socials or other unruly people for common good.

2. The facilities serve the welfare objective of the government to facilitate learning and helping the people who would otherwise find it difficult to afford these services. These facilities fulfill the development objectives of the government. helping it to develop its human resources.

3. Privatisation is possible, particularly in the technology related services where the government might lack expertise to be up to date in providing safe and efficient access to the users. Other options are in provision of learning resources, many of them comprise of  the upcoming new technologies and are available through leading outside players of tting the le

1. The library and other learning services are not public goods because they are not one of the essential commodities ike electiricity, water and roads which are indispensible for civic life, which can't exclude anyone from availing the facility. These services are for the benefit of the people willing to learn or augment their knowledge of skills, but can exclude the people or group of them from availing them, to facilitate leaning for bona fide people and to ensure that decorrum, discipline and order can be maintained and the purpose of having these facilities remains relevant. For example, a library can't allow a group of druncards or anti socials or other unruly people for common good.

2. The facilities serve the welfare objective of the government to facilitate learning and helping the people who would otherwise find it difficult to afford these services. These facilities fulfill the development objectives of the government. helping it to develop its human resources.

3. Privatisation is possible, particularly in the technology related services where the government might lack expertise to be up to date in providing safe and efficient access to the users. Other options are in provision of learning resources, many of them comprise of  the upcoming new technologies and are available through leading outside players,

1. The library and other learning services are not public goods because they are not one of the essential commodities ike electiricity, water and roads which are indispensible for civic life, which can't exclude anyone from availing the facility. These services are for the benefit of the people willing to learn or augment their knowledge of skills, but can exclude the people or group of them from availing them, to facilitate leaning for bona fide people and to ensure that decorrum, discipline and order can be maintained and the purpose of having these facilities remains relevant. For example, a library can't allow a group of druncards or anti socials or other unruly people for common good.

2. The facilities serve the welfare objective of the government to facilitate learning and helping the people who would otherwise find it difficult to afford these services. These facilities fulfill the development objectives of the government. helping it to develop its human resources.

3. Privatisation is possible, particularly in the technology related services where the government might lack expertise to be up to date in providing safe and efficient access to the users. Other options are in provision of learning resources, many of them comprise of  the upcoming new technologies and are available through leading outside players

1. The library and other learning services are not public goods because they are not one of the essential commodities ike electiricity, water and roads which are indispensible for civic life, which can't exclude anyone from availing the facility. These services are for the benefit of the people willing to learn or augment their knowledge of skills, but can exclude the people or group of them from availing them, to facilitate leaning for bona fide people and to ensure that decorrum, discipline and order can be maintained and the purpose of having these facilities remains relevant. For example, a library can't allow a group of druncards or anti socials or other unruly people for common good.

2. The facilities serve the welfare objective of the government to facilitate learning and helping the people who would otherwise find it difficult to afford these services. These facilities fulfill the development objectives of the government. helping it to develop its human resources.

3. Privatisation is possible, particularly in the technology related services where the government might lack expertise to be up to date in providing safe and efficient access to the users. Other options are in provision of learning resources, many of them comprise of  the upcoming new technologies and are available through leading outside players

1. The library and other learning services are not public goods because they are not one of the essential commodities ike electiricity, water and roads which are indispensible for civic life, which can't exclude anyone from availing the facility. These services are for the benefit of the people willing to learn or augment their knowledge of skills, but can exclude the people or group of them from availing them, to facilitate leaning for bona fide people and to ensure that decorrum, discipline and order can be maintained and the purpose of having these facilities remains relevant. For example, a library can't allow a group of druncards or anti socials or other unruly people for common good.

2. The facilities serve the welfare objective of the government to facilitate learning and helping the people who would otherwise find it difficult to afford these services. These facilities fulfill the development objectives of the government. helping it to develop its human resources.

3. Privatisation is possible, particularly in the technology related services where the government might lack expertise to be up to date in providing safe and efficient access to the users. Other options are in provision of learning resources, many of them comprise of  the upcoming new technologies and are available through leading outside players and are necessary for updates in the existing learning resources.

4. The services which are of common interest of the public such as literature on common law, history, polity, sciences and arts, economics and development shoudl be kept free of charge, while employment oriented corsework which is procured from outside at a cost needs to be chargable. Other chargable services should be the one which need to be updated at a cost by the authorities or the ones which incur cost in maintenance. The services which lead to monetary or any kind of material benefit for the user shoudl be subject to a charge ( such as meeting place for a group of businessmen)

5. The welfare objective of the scheme would not be fulfilled if the services are available at a charge. This would particularly affect the poorer classes who might not find it affordable. Examples are poor but meritorious students, who come to library to access resources which they can't afford outside. The solution is to take into consideration, the socio economic factors while making such decisions, and excluding some really needy groups out of the scope.