Also available on Charlie's Angel: project.

Social Good: ATP: Economic Assessment

The Advanced Technology Project is an organization sponsored by the National Institute of Standards and Technology under the Technology Administration of the U.S. Department of Commerce.  In their report "Economic Analysis of Research Spillovers Implications for the Advanced Technology Project," written by and economist at Brandeis University Adam B. Jaffe, the ATP seeks to elucidate the role of spillovers or positive externalities in adding to the social utility of basic research.

In taking this approach, the ATP reaffirms the social desirability of research and technological development, but more fundamentally the classical economic evaluation of social value in terms of price-able utility to consumers.  The report assumes economic goals as being social goals, among them that of allocative efficiency and the need to correct market failures through government intervention.

While this does not necessarily bring much new to the table in terms of adding to the conceptions of the social good, it is important to understand that despite its limitations, the economic conception of social good is still a vastly important analytical tool for policy makers and those evaluating policy.  The report then goes on to identify externalities of basic research.

Next: NTIA.