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America seems to perpetually (a) let private groups monopolise public goods (education, healthcare, media etc) then (b) spend decades on court cases about exact

America seems to perpetually (a) let private groups monopolise public goods (education, healthcare, media etc) then (b) spend decades on court cases about exactly how much control those groups are allowed while (c) spending enormous amounts of money buying the goods back at inflated prices America would be much better off preventing this at source...

imgabe 3y ago
Harvard does not have a monopoly on education. This may be a surprise to Harvard graduates, but there are other universities.
- reducesuffering 3y ago
  I’m quite weary of how watered down the world monopoly gets thrown around for everything. It’s counterproductive. Mono is an extremely common prefix that is easy to understand.
inglor_cz 3y ago
Not an American, but I will bite. Neither education nor media seem to me an obvious public good, unlike, say, clean air. Private actors should definitely be allowed to teach or publish news. And Harvard et al. aren't really a monopoly in any sense. There is a shitton of other universities across the US. The Ivies are prestigious, yes, but logically, you can't have a shitton of prestigious institutions.
- ericmay 3y ago
  Education is pretty firmly in the public good camp. Educated workforce means skilled labor and better economic productivity, etc.
nonethewiser 3y ago
Harvard is a private University. In what sense are its education services a public good? Or are you saying you think education should only be offered by the government? Or …?
- paulgb 3y ago
  It’s a 501c3. At the very least, the IRS believes that it serves a public good.
  - nonethewiser 3y ago
    Its a private institution and a 501c3. I believe you are saying it benefits from federal tax savings. Please clarify if you mean something else but in any case being a 501c3 doesnt make their education services a public good. Subject to additional compliance for receiving federal money, absolutely.
    - paulgb 3y ago
      Being a 501c3 educational institution requires that “the services provided by the organization are available to the general public.” It’s a private institution as you say, but it’s a private institution that benefits from a particular tax status in exchange for serving the public good. https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/26/501#k https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/26/501#k
- leereeves 3y ago
  I believe they are saying that education should be available to everyone. TIL that public good has a specific meaning similar to that: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_good_(economics) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_good_(economics)
- ericmay 3y ago
  Is there really a meaningful distinction between Harvard the private university offering an education and education “offered by the government”? I don’t see a practical difference between Harvard and Berkeley for example, other than class rankings and maybe tuition cost. Same courses and curriculum, big government research grants and funding, same accreditation bodies, both are NCAA members, both are AAU members, etc.
boeingUH60 3y ago
Higher education is in no way monopolized by private universities.

imgabe 3y ago

Harvard does not have a monopoly on education. This may be a surprise to Harvard graduates, but there are other universities.

reducesuffering 3y ago
I’m quite weary of how watered down the world monopoly gets thrown around for everything. It’s counterproductive. Mono is an extremely common prefix that is easy to understand.

inglor_cz 3y ago

Not an American, but I will bite. Neither education nor media seem to me an obvious public good, unlike, say, clean air. Private actors should definitely be allowed to teach or publish news. And Harvard et al. aren't really a monopoly in any sense. There is a shitton of other universities across the US. The Ivies are prestigious, yes, but logically, you can't have a shitton of prestigious institutions.

ericmay 3y ago
Education is pretty firmly in the public good camp. Educated workforce means skilled labor and better economic productivity, etc.

nonethewiser 3y ago

Harvard is a private University. In what sense are its education services a public good? Or are you saying you think education should only be offered by the government? Or …?

paulgb 3y ago
It’s a 501c3. At the very least, the IRS believes that it serves a public good.
- nonethewiser 3y ago
  Its a private institution and a 501c3. I believe you are saying it benefits from federal tax savings. Please clarify if you mean something else but in any case being a 501c3 doesnt make their education services a public good. Subject to additional compliance for receiving federal money, absolutely.
  - paulgb 3y ago
    Being a 501c3 educational institution requires that “the services provided by the organization are available to the general public.” It’s a private institution as you say, but it’s a private institution that benefits from a particular tax status in exchange for serving the public good. https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/26/501#k https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/26/501#k
leereeves 3y ago
I believe they are saying that education should be available to everyone. TIL that public good has a specific meaning similar to that: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_good_(economics) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_good_(economics)
ericmay 3y ago
Is there really a meaningful distinction between Harvard the private university offering an education and education “offered by the government”? I don’t see a practical difference between Harvard and Berkeley for example, other than class rankings and maybe tuition cost. Same courses and curriculum, big government research grants and funding, same accreditation bodies, both are NCAA members, both are AAU members, etc.

boeingUH60 3y ago

Higher education is in no way monopolized by private universities.