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The Socioeconomic Effects of Public Sector Information on Digital Networks Toward a Better Understanding of Different Access and Reuse Policies: Workshop Summary (2009) / Chapter Skim
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10. Enhancing Access to Government Information: Economic Theory as ItApplies to Statistics Canada
Pages 40-44

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From page 40...
... The goals of this study were to complete an authoritative view and analysis of current economic theory, to review the literature on the economic theory of information, and to identify elements of the literature relevant to Statistics Canada's dissemination and management of the production of statistics. My focus was on several issues: the impact of information on general economic efficiency; the economic rationale for, and advantages of, public sector supply as opposed to private sector supply of information; economic theory with respect to pricing; the economic rationale for government intervention in the statistical information market; and the appropriate level of production of official statistics.
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From page 41...
... . Economists recognize that private sector monopolists underproduce and overprice their goods and that public sector information producers are usually monopolists.
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From page 42...
... And if no government role is warranted, the activity should be undertaken by the private sector. Thus it is a proper government role to provide public data and information to support basic research and to improve the efficiency with which the services of government are provided.
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From page 43...
... That money could be put to other uses. I conclude that the decreases in transaction and opportunity cost will more than compensate for the revenue decrease; meanwhile, there will be a positive economic impact for the country from increased use of the data and the tax revenue increases resulting from private sector reuse.
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From page 44...
... Boston: Harvard Business School Press. Stiglitz, J
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Key Terms

  • public sector
  • economic theory
  • economic efficiency
  • statistics canada
  • consumer surplus

  • cost recovery
  • government role
  • digital economy
  • psi providers
  • social benefit

  • sector supply
  • marginal costs
  • crown copyright
  • sector information
  • public data

  • current economic
  • low marginal
  • positive economic
  • economic rationale
  • moral rights

  • net social
  • generate revenue
  • user fees
  • rights provisions
  • economically efficient

  • statistical information
  • exchange hands
  • fixed costs
  • impose crown
  • psi integrity


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