eg ulation . ▁The ▁term ▁may ▁also ▁be ▁used ▁descript ively ▁for ▁something ▁that ▁has ▁always ▁been ▁private , ▁but ▁could ▁be ▁public ▁in ▁other ▁juris dict ions . ▁ ▁There ▁are ▁also ▁private ▁entities ▁that ▁may ▁perform ▁public ▁functions . ▁These ▁entities ▁could ▁also ▁be ▁described ▁as ▁priv at ized . ▁Priv at ization ▁may ▁mean ▁the ▁government ▁s ells ▁state - owned ▁business es ▁to ▁private ▁interests , ▁but ▁it ▁may ▁also ▁be ▁discussed ▁in ▁the ▁context ▁of ▁the ▁priv at ization ▁of ▁services ▁or ▁government ▁functions , ▁where ▁private ▁entities ▁are ▁task ed ▁with ▁the ▁implementation ▁of ▁government ▁programs ▁or ▁performance ▁of ▁government ▁services . ▁Gill ian ▁E . ▁Met z ger ▁has ▁written ▁that : ▁" Private ▁entities ▁[ in ▁the ▁US ] ▁provide ▁a ▁vast ▁array ▁of ▁social ▁services ▁for ▁the ▁government ; ▁admin ister ▁core ▁aspects ▁of ▁government ▁programs ; ▁and ▁perform ▁tasks ▁that ▁appear ▁qu int ess entially ▁government al , ▁such ▁as ▁prom ul g ating ▁standards ▁or ▁reg ulating ▁third - party ▁activities ." ▁Met z ger ▁mentions ▁an ▁expansion ▁of ▁priv at ization ▁that ▁includes ▁health ▁and ▁w elf are ▁programs , ▁public ▁education , ▁and ▁pr isons . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁Pre - 2 0 th ▁century ▁ ▁The ▁history ▁of ▁priv at ization ▁dates ▁from ▁An cient ▁Greece , ▁when ▁govern ments ▁contract ed ▁out ▁almost ▁everything ▁to ▁the ▁private ▁sector .< ref ▁name =" hand book "> ' Intern ational ▁Hand book ▁on ▁Priv at ization ▁by ▁David ▁Parker ,