Government Transformed 2.0 Episode Two: Maximising the benefits of public goods and government as a ‘benevolent wholesaler of life’

The second episode of Global Government Forum’s Government Transformed 2.0 podcast discusses the changing nature of public goods in the digital age – and what governments must do to maximise their benefits. The series comprises conversations that look at the story of digital transformation in government over the last 15 years, and this second discusses the evolution of public goods in the digital age. In this episode, host Richard Johnstone, regular contributor Nicholas Gruen and guest David Halpern, discuss what now counts as public goods in the digital age – and how they can be harnessed for public policy ends. In this conversation Gruen – an Australian economist and government innovation thought leader – and Halpern – president emeritus and former chief executive of the UK's Behavioural Insights Team, and now director of The Downing Battcock Institute – discuss the public goods of the digital era. This discussion explores how digital platforms like Wikipedia and Google have become public goods of opportunity, providing free access and generating significant value, and how governments can support and leverage these digital public goods. They also discuss the potential for government to act as a benevolent wholesaler, providing information to help citizens make informed decisions and improve market functioning. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.