Public firm presence leads to lower prices and higher social welfare.
The article looks at how different types of companies compete when selling similar products. They use a model to see how public and private firms decide on where to locate and how much to charge. The study shows that when a public firm is involved, products are less different from each other and prices are lower. This leads to higher overall social welfare compared to when only private firms are in the market. The study suggests that privatizing public firms may not always be the best choice for society.