It is commonly argued that national defense is a public good. Nevertheless, the weapons used by the U.S. military are produced by private firms. We can conclude that
A)resources would be used more efficiently if the government produced the weapons.
B)resources would be used more efficiently if private firms provided national defense.
C)weapons are rival in consumption and excludable, but national defense is not rival in consumption and not excludable.
D)national defense is rival in consumption and excludable, but weapons are not rival in consumption and not excludable.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

National defense is considered a public good because it is non-rivalrous (one person's consumption doesn't reduce the amount available for others) and non-excludable (it's not feasible to exclude anyone from its benefits). Weapons, however, are rival in consumption (if one person or entity uses a weapon, it cannot be used by another at the same time) and excludable (access to them can be restricted). This distinction explains why private firms can produce weapons but the provision of national defense itself is typically managed by the government.

It Is Commonly Argued That National Defense Is a Public