Question

Why does the government issue only bonds, while companies issue both stocks and bonds?
a.
The US government does not involve itself in the stock market because it does not want to risk losing money if there should ever be a crash in the stock market.
b.
Because the stock market is used as a form of gambling, the government refuses to associated itself with the stock market as a way to discourage gambling.
c.
Stock in a company gives the holder part-ownership of the company, with voting rights on big decisions, and profits when the value goes up. The people already vote on happenings in the government and inherently have ownership of the government.
d.
A stock is a part ownership in a company, and the leaders of the government won’t have the people owning the government.

Answer 1

c.

Stocks represent ownership and a claim on a firm's profits and control; a government can't (and doesn't want to) sell ownership of the state. Governments raise money by borrowing (bonds) because they fund public services through taxation and have sovereign authority to repay debt — they don't have "profits" to distribute or private owners to dilute.