Does an internet search engine satisfy the key characteristics of a public good?

• A. No, because it is excludable; access can be restricted by requiring payment or login.
• B. Yes, because anyone can use it without reducing its availability to others.
• C. No, because it is rivalrous; one person's use diminishes its availability to others.
• D. Yes, because it is both non-rivalrous and non-excludable.

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Recall the definition of a public good in microeconomics. A public good is characterized by two main properties: it is non-rivalrous and non-excludable.
2. Step 2: Understand what non-rivalrous means: one person's consumption of the good does not reduce the amount available for others to consume.
3. Step 3: Understand what non-excludable means: it is not possible to prevent people from using the good, even if they do not pay for it.
4. Step 4: Analyze the internet search engine in terms of these properties. While it is generally non-rivalrous because one person's search does not reduce the ability of others to search, it can be excludable if access is restricted by requiring payment or login credentials.
5. Step 5: Conclude that since the internet search engine can be excludable, it does not fully satisfy the criteria of a public good.