| Since the title of this dissertation may appear to be somewhat confusing, the economic term ‘public good’ is defined. A public good is a service, property, etc. which is available to all and is not consumed with use. The field is so broad that it was necessary to select a public good; telecommunications, and then to narrow the field even further, to Latin America, and finally to Venezuela.; The history of public goods from primitive man's struggle for survival to today's complicated society is surveyed. Public good and privatization are analyzed in detail to determine the possible benefits and drawbacks that would result from privatization.; The conversion of a public good into a private good through privatization; in this case Venezuela's ‘Compania Anonima Telefonos de Venezuela’ (CANTV), is traced from its inception. Telecommunication has been chosen as a sample of a public or quasi-public good that was subsequently privatized in Venezuela as were telecommunication companies in several other countries. Some of the accomplishments of CANTV prior and subsequent to privatization are discussed.; The importance of telecommunications is demonstrated, especially through the use of financial statistics that show the meteoric rise of the industry in the last few decades. Statistics and the accompanying hypotheses and charts are introduced to show the results of privatization of telecommunications in Venezuela prior and subsequent to privatization. The growth of the gross domestic product in Venezuela is shown on some of the charts to determine whether there was any relation to the statistics under study.; The dissertation concludes with the various improvements and accomplishments of the privatized Venezuelan telecommunications company which could hardly have been realized by its predecessor, the public company, with its poor record involving mismanagement, corruption, inadequate financing, haphazard planning and political indecisiveness. Perhaps the greatest accomplishment of the metamorphosis of this public good into a private one was the improvement in the quality of life of Venezuelan society in general. |
