Which of the following types of economic goods cannot be easily withheld from individuals who do not pay for them?

Public goods are characterized by their non-excludability and non-rivalrous consumption. This means that once a public good is made available, it is generally not possible to prevent individuals who do not pay for it from using it. A classic example of a public good is national defense or street lighting—once these services are provided, they benefit everyone within the area, regardless of whether they contributed financially to their provision.

In contrast, private goods can be withheld from non-payers because they are excludable and rivalrous; for instance, if you buy a sandwich, only you can consume that sandwich. Club goods are excludable but non-rivalrous, meaning they can be restricted to paying members (like a gym or private club), which also allows for their exclusion from non-payers. Common property resources, while being non-excludable, often suffer from overuse due to their rivalrous nature, which can lead to depletion but does not mean they cannot be withheld at all; there are ways to manage access to them.

The essence of public goods lies in their inherent characteristics that make withholding them impractical, reinforcing the idea that these types of goods can freely benefit all individuals, regardless of their contribution to the cost.