Government ownership, also called public ownership, is the ownership and operation of a service, business, or industry by a government. In the United States, most government-owned projects provide vital public services that private companies cannot provide. For example, sometimes the amount of money needed to start a project is more than a private business can afford to spend. This was the case in the development of the Tennessee River Valley (see Tennessee Valley Authority ). Sometimes a needed service must be provided at such low rates that a private company could not operate at a profit.
State government ownership includes toll roads, bridges, historic sites, and recreational facilities. Local government ownership in the United States includes some public utilities, such as water systems.
The transportation and communication systems of most countries are government-owned. So are manufacturing plants in some European countries. In China and North Korea, the government owns nearly all means of production and distribution.
