Private military firms provided much of the logistical support to American troops in Afghanistan and Iraq, and some people have advocated using such troops to help stop the genocide being carried out in Darfur, Sudan. Critics of these mercenary troops argue that they charge too much, act irresponsibly, and fail to provide long-term fixes. As one opponent stated, “There’s no reason to assume that a private company hired to perform a public service will do better than people employed directly by the government”

[Krugman, 2006b, p. A27]. Relate this debate to our discussion of the role that contracts play in deciding whether to produce a public good privately.