There seems to be a widespread inaccuracy concerning the concept of public goods in the common Czech language and even in some economic literature. While the most scholars define this concept using some specific characteristics of its consumption (non-rival, non-excludable, zero marginal costs...), for instance education, health services, and housing are called "public goods" by public (but also by the same scholars) quite often because they are publicly provided. This leads to a conceptual confusion. Broadly accepted role of the concept of public goods as a rationale for government activity may lead to some quaint statements as "the government has to finance health care services because they are public goods". Unfortunately, "public" character of services is derived from the real pattern of their provision. The circle is completed. Such an arbitrary definition of public goods is possible, but it is not correct if we want to use the concept as an example of objective micro-economic market failure. We believe the well-known characteristics of consumption of public goods have the objective nature and there is no way to put them under any arbitrary judgement. The human "right" for the better heath can be accepted by society, but it does not mean that there is non-exclusion from the consumption of health services.
