Define a quasi-public good and give an example.

• A. A good that is fully non-excludable and non-rival.
• B. A quasi-public good has some public good characteristics but not fully non-excludable or non-rival; example: toll roads or private parks with access restrictions.
• C. A private good sold in markets.
• D. A pure public good.

Answer: (B)

Quasi-public goods have some public-good traits but are not fully non-excludable or non-rival. This means people can be charged for access and there can be some competition for limited capacity, so the good isn’t completely available to everyone without restriction. A toll road is a classic example: access is restricted by a toll (excludable), yet when there isn’t congestion it can serve many users at once (not perfectly rival). Private parks with restricted entry work the same way. This distinguishes them from a pure public good, which no one can be excluded from and whose use by one person doesn’t reduce availability for others, and from a private good, which is both excludable and rival in consumption.