We explain what public services are, what types exist and some examples. Also, its importance for society.
What are public services?
public services are the set of activities and procedures, generally of an essential or basic type, that a State usually guarantees its populationin order to provide a better standard of living and protect equal opportunities.
Typically, public services They are managed through the public administration and paid for with taxpayers' money.that is, with the treasury or public spending, either directly or through subsidies and other regulatory and compensatory mechanisms. For this reason, they are generally limited to aspects essential for daily life, such as electricity, drinking water or public transportation.
These services They are usually protected by the State and are considered an asset of national interest; In some countries they are even declared inalienable property of the State. Furthermore, access to public services is one of the factors taken into account to measure the Human Development Index (HDI).
Sometimes, one can also speak of “semi-public” serviceswhen it comes to privatized services but that have a certain margin of subsidy or state protection. The criterion for differentiating between services that must be public and those that must be private is often the subject of debate between liberal and protectionist political positions.
See also: Public sector
Types of public services
Public services can be classified into:
- emergency services. They are those that deal with irregular situations in which the life or material properties of citizens are in danger. For example: the police, the firefighters.
- Bureaucratic services. They are those that have to do with the administration of the State and with the actions that citizens can or should make before it. For example: notary offices, the administration of justice.
- Basic services. They are those essential for life in an organized society and that are often brought directly to the home. For example: electricity, liquefied gas.
Examples of public services
Some examples of public services of each type are:
Examples of public emergency services
- Citizen security and public order forces (police)
- fire departments
- Military forces
- Medical emergencies
- Rescuers and civil defense
Examples of bureaucratic public services
- Identification and immigration system
- Justice administration system
- Registries, notaries and notaries
- Tourist attention
- Historical archives and public cultural management
- Consular representation and embassies
Examples of basic public services
- Electric light installation
- Liquefied natural gas network
- Drinking water network
- Urban and interurban public transport
- national postal mail
- Public education
- Public health
- Cleaning and waste collection
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References
- Araujo Juárez, J. (2023). Public services law. Olejnik Editions.
- González, RA (1995). Who does what? Public services inside and outside the State. IESA.
