Which statement best represents the relationship between private and public goods?

The statement that private goods are excludable and rival, while public goods are non-excludable and non-rival accurately captures the fundamental characteristics that distinguish these two categories of goods.

Private goods are characterized by their ability to be owned and consumed by individuals. When one person consumes a private good, it reduces the amount available for others, demonstrating rivalry. Furthermore, private goods can be withheld from those who do not pay for them, establishing excludability. An example is a slice of pizza: if one person eats it, nobody else can have it, and the pizzeria can prevent those who haven’t paid from accessing it.

On the other hand, public goods are typically provided without exclusion and do not diminish in availability as one individual consumes them, illustrating their non-rivalry. For instance, national defense is considered a public good because one person benefiting from it does not prevent another from also benefiting, and it is not feasible to exclude individuals from receiving this benefit.

This clear distinction helps in understanding how resources are allocated in an economy and the different implications for market efficiency, government intervention, and the provision of goods and services.

The other options misrepresent the relationships and characteristics of private and public goods, leading to confusion rather than clarity