You are the type of person who doesn't devote much effort to thinking about the past or planning for the future, you're satisfied just ambling along through the present. Family and friends make appointments and luncheon dates with you, but often fail to show up. Today, you are likely to spend a great deal of time searching the newspaper want ads hoping to buy either a blue mechanical pencil or super soft, super cuddly, stuffed animals. Be on the lookout for telephone calls from long-lost relatives. You should consider shopping at stores or businesses beginning with the letter F, but do not buy any products with a serial number or product code containing the number 865293. Your preferred shopping venue is discount super centers. Your special symbol is the period (.).

As a Beige Mundortle, you are somewhat dull, somewhat boring, somewhat lusterless. You don't particularly care and you don't really care that you don't care. You know that you have a somewhat drab, lackluster life, and that's just fine with you. You shop when you need to, buy what you have to, and get on with your life. It's just another day, another expenditure. You don't really care to spend a lot of time shopping, but you don't really care to spend a lot of time doing much of anything. Life goes on. So what? Who cares?

The economy produces four distinct types of goods based on two key characteristics -- consumption rivalry and nonpayer excludability. Consumption rivalry arises if consumption of a good by one person prevents another from also consuming. Nonpayer excludability means potential consumers who do not pay for a good can be excluded from consuming. Private goods are rival in consumption and easily subject to the exclusion of nonpayers. Public goods are nonrival in consumption and the exclusion of nonpayers is virtually impossible. Near-public goods are nonrival in consumption and easily subject to exclusion. Common-property goods are rival in consumption and not easily subject to exclusion. Private goods can be efficiently exchanged through markets. Public, near-public and common-property goods cannot, but require some degree of government involvement for efficiency.

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Like most consumers, workers, and taxpayers, I engage in market exchanges for a lot of stuff -- food, labor, shelter, entertainment, confectionery products. But as I wandered through the peaceful community of Shady Valley, U. S. of A., I entered a "market" that I would have rather avoided. That's right, as the title indicates, I exchange some crime. I was mugged -- relieved of several valuable possessions -- right in front of the Shady Valley police station. I did the selling and my mugger did the "buying." While my part in the exchange was involuntary, the mugger's part was quite voluntary. In fact, the perpetrator of this crime acted much like any consumer headed to Natural Ned's Nursery and Garden Center in search of a creeping juniper. Let's see why?
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-- Helen Keller, lecturer, author

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