PUBLIC/PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS--FINANCING A COMMON WEALTH

Public/private cooperation has come to mean various financial and legal arrangements in which the private sector becomes involved in the ownership or operation of public entities. Consumption of "pure" public goods, those consumed at large, cannot be allocated by use of a market mechanism because benefits cannot be excluded from those who do not pay. "Merit" goods are considered supportive of society's goals and their consumption is encouraged. "Natural monopolies," are cost decreasing processes where economic efficiency dictates a single provider. The economic nature of goods or services and how they may be financed need not dictate who legally "owns" or "operates" the facility in question. The political structure and the tax structure in the U.S. have fostered legal patterns for "public-purpose" activities. The public sector can frequently finance consumption of goods and services more cheaply. The array of governmentally produced services has been left to a host of state and local governments. The line between what is public and private has constantly shifted. Since the late 1970s, state and local governments have been confronted with taxpayers revolts, tax and expenditure limits, cutbacks in federal grants, a deep recession, and public disapproval of things governmental. This book describes and analyzes the current state of public/private cooperation. There are four main sections: (1) Public/private sector partnerships for financing physical infrastructure; (2) Privatization; (3) Tools, techniques and cases; (4) Creating the intellectual infrastructure for high-tech development. There are 14 individual chapters by a series of authors.

  • Corporate Authors:

    Government Finance Research Center

    Government Finance Officers Assn, 1750 K St, NW, Suite 200
    Washington, DC  United States  20006
  • Publication Date: 1985-1

Media Info

  • Features: Figures;
  • Pagination: 105 p.

Subject/Index Terms

Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 00454494
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Files: TRIS
  • Created Date: May 31 1988 12:00AM