The Swedish lighthouse system 1650–1890: private versus public provision of public goods

Erik Lindberg

European Review of Economic History, 2015, vol. 19, issue 4, 454-468

Abstract: This paper uses the history of lighthouses in Sweden to discuss the relative roles of public and private productions of public goods in a developing economy. In Sweden, like in England, there were private lighthouses financed by light dues levied on ships calling at particular harbors. However, private provision generally played a marginal role in the expansion of sea safety arrangements. The provision of large-scale public goods in a developing economy such as Sweden relied on public, not private, provision. Merchants were willing to pay taxes in order to contribute to public sector investments in public goods.

Date: 2015
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:oup:ereveh:v:19:y:2015:i:4:p:454-468.

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