In each of the following situations, what is the government's role?Does the government's intervention improve the outcome?

a)Public schools: Is the benefit to society of having an educated population large enough to justify making people without children share in the cost?Could the private sector provide education more efficiently (either at lower cost or higher quality) than the public sector?

b)Patent laws: Is it fair that drug companies charge such high prices for drugs that some people need to stay alive?If drug prices are regulated, how might pharmaceutical firms respond?