Footnote

The use of the indefinite article here -- speaking of "a public good" and not of "the public good" -- makes a big difference. "A public good" is a particular good or service that may or may not be efficiently supplied by the government. "The public good" is the overall objective of good government. The noun "good" is differently used in the two cases. In "a public good" it is concrete and specific, referring to particular services or objects of use. In "the public good" it is abstract, roughly a synonym for "well-being." Thus in general we might think that "the public good" would be advanced by having government supply "a public good," but there could be exceptions and counterarguments.