Should projects funded with taxpayer money be discounted at a lower rate than privately funded projects? I analyze the discount rate applied to long-term cash flows in public (in-house) versus private (contracting out) provision of public goods subject to regulatory burdens. I develop a model...

There is a drive towards delivering and operating public infrastructure through public-private partnership rather than traditional public procurement. The assessment of the value for money achieved by the two alternative approaches rests in the cost of financing and their efficiency in delivery...

Are public contracts less adaptable than private contracts? Using a comprehensive set of contracts for a standard product, we compare procurement contracts in which the procurer is either a public administration or a private corporation. We find that public-to-private contracts feature more...

This paper presents comparative statics of organizational modes of natural monopoly in public utilities with a focus on co-ownership and co-governance. Private monopoly lowers output and increases the price to maximize profit; public monopoly incurs higher costs due to the lack of know-how; and...

The quality of goods provided by public utilities depends on infrastructure features and operational inputs. I compare the economic efficiency that results from price ceilings and minimum quality standards (i.e., compliance with environmental, chemical, and performance standards and norms)...

The paper describes three different public-private partnership schemes implemented in connection with toll motorways in Poland and the fiscal risks related to them. While A1 Motorway is a typical BOT with public subsidies, A4 Motorway bases on a concession model (also known as asset-exploitation...

The choice of infrastructure delivery through public versus private provision is driven by investment and operational efficiency, and cost of capital differentials. While the first two factors are measurable --- albeit with mixed results --- the appropriate discount rate instigates...

We compare procurement contracts where the procurer is either a public agent or a private corporation. Using algorithmic data reading and textual analysis on a rich dataset of con- tracts for a standardized product and service from a single provider, we find that public contracts feature more...

I test whether public-sector ownership reduces conventional measures of market risk by using an exogenous event to the air transportation industry. I find that government-sponsored enterprises show lower price volatility than non-government-sponsored enterprises, arguably due to the government's...