Anyone taking economics at A-level or University will be familiar with the concept of public goods. They are goods that are both non-excludable and non-rivalrous. This means that there is no way to bar users from accessing these goods even if they have failed to pay for them.  

This has led to a consensus in economics that to avoid free rider problems, public goods must be funded by the taxpayer. 

But does the state have to provide public goods in all circumstances, and historically, who did build the roads or provide law enforcement before the modern welfare state? IEA Communications and Public Affairs Officer Kieran Neild-Ali was joined by Dr Stephen Davies, Head of Education at the IEA. 

 

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