Public ownership

Public ownership is ownership of assets or enterprises by government or another public body. It gives public authorities control over their use, management, or sale.

State-owned enterprise: A business enterprise owned or controlled by a government. This is the corporate form through which governments own and operate commercial activities.
Public utility: An organization that supplies essential services such as water, electricity, or gas. Utilities are frequently publicly owned because their networks serve entire communities.
Private ownership: Ownership of assets or enterprises by individuals, households, or private organizations. It places control with private owners rather than public bodies.
Public goods: Goods that are non-excludable and non-rival in consumption, such as national defense. Public ownership is sometimes proposed for goods whose benefits are difficult to sell individually.
Nationalization in the United Kingdom: The postwar transfer of major British industries and services into state ownership. Britain's nationalizations made public ownership a central feature of its postwar economy.
Municipal ownership: Ownership of assets or services by a city, town, or other local government. Local public bodies can own utilities and facilities without national government control.
Public housing: Housing provided or managed by a government or public agency, often at below-market rents. Public bodies may own homes directly to provide affordable housing.
Common ownership: An arrangement in which assets are held collectively by a group or community. Collective ownership need not be administered by a government.
Natural monopoly: A market in which one supplier can serve demand at lower cost than multiple competing suppliers. Public ownership is one response to monopoly risks in network industries.
New Deal: A set of United States programs and reforms enacted under Franklin D. Roosevelt during the Great Depression. Its public works and federal institutions expanded government roles without wholesale nationalization.

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