[...]... readers Public goods, redistribution, and rent seeking do not seem to be closely enough related to fit together in one book Further, public goods is a rather misleading name I normally talk about externalities, rather than public goods Externalities are the reason that we must have governments and in many cases they lead to discussion of specific government activities, which generate further externalities and. .. force and an army, which is organized to exert force on people who are reluctant to carry out externality-reducing activities This is a hangover from the earlier society previously mentioned in this study on the origin of the state and the probability is that it 26 Public goods, redistribution and rent seeking began, in Olson’s (1982) phrase as a ‘stationary bandit’ It still has these powers and anyone... but there are 1 2 Public goods, redistribution and rent seeking many much more minor things which governments can do which annoy outsiders I must deal with even more primitive and fundamental causes of government We must for this purpose go back to the origin of government, and that was so long ago that we don’t really know much about it Our near relatives, the chimpanzees, live in bands with only the... three o’clock in the morning Other societies have other rules One of the intriguing features of London is 8 Public goods, redistribution and rent seeking the extremely late hours that parties continue Starting a party at midnight is not totally out of the question These are different customs and there is no particular rationale for any of them The one that is contrary to custom is thought to be a generator... termites, were living under the concrete slab on which my house stood and beginning to eat the wooden 10 Public goods, redistribution and rent seeking parts of the house Ignoring environmental concerns, I called an exterminator who proceeded to take care of the problem by poisoning them He reported, however, that he could not find the nests and thought it might be under the other part of the concrete slab... improve the general appearance of the neighborhood and to keep up the resale price of the houses There were also restrictions on the house design for the same reason The result was a very generally pleasant appearance and good resale values on houses I used to live in Blacksburg, Virginia, where the dogwoods 12 Public goods, redistribution and rent seeking were particularly beautiful in the spring I... major street The idea was to provide space for house building, and people in fact bought lots and built houses They had a tiny collective organization for the 25 or so houses When the real estate firm, which built the condominium in which I lived, started it, its street system was connected to two 14 Public goods, redistribution and rent seeking major streets In one case, the less important, the connection... other hand suppose that the farmers decide to pay the 22 Public goods, redistribution and rent seeking railroad to install a spark catcher The same problem occurs here Even though the benefit to the farmers is great enough so that it would be profitable if they each pay the same amount or if the amount depended on the distance from the railroad, individual farmers could gain by refusing to pay and hoping... monopoly of force (which, we now tend to think, is a distinguishing characteristic of government) and used it for its own benefit Looking at it from the standpoint of the common citizens, however, the necessity of keeping the irrigation canals functioning meant that the need to 4 Public goods, redistribution and rent seeking mobilize large numbers of workers was obvious Further, in the early days, there were... come into bloom I also noticed that a bush on the other side of the entrance walk was showing signs of deterioration I got pleasure from the beautiful flowers and pain from the deterioration: in both cases 20 Public goods, redistribution and rent seeking the amount was so trivial that I didn’t even slow down to look I know that the university administration has planted these things with the idea of improving . YYePG, email=yyepg@msn.com Reason: I attest to the accuracy and integrity of this document Date: 2005.05.27 15:27:35 +08'00' Public Goods, Redistribution and Rent Seeking The Locke Institute General Director. title, which may puzzle many readers. Public goods, redistribution, and rent seeking do not seem to be closely enough related to fit together in one book. Further, public goods is a rather misleading. permanent set- 2 Public goods, redistribution and rent seeking tlement became possible. Presumably they originally developed as simple farming villages but cities like Jericho and Katal Huyuk