Diversifying Public Ownership for Participation and Social Empowerment

* Article: Diversifying Public Ownership: Constructing Institutions for Participation, Social Empowerment and Democratic Control. By Andrew Cumbers. Next Systems Project, Volume 6, 2017

URL = http://www.thenextsystem.org/diversifying-public-ownership/

Description

"Andrew Cumbers argues for a new system based on diverse forms of public ownership, enabling workers, consumers, and citizens to participate in economic decision making and community control over resources. In particular, Cumbers explores “seven broad types of public ownership” and how they could be strategically incorporated across the economy: full state ownership, partial state ownership, regional/subnational state ownership, local/municipal state ownership, employee-owned firms, producer and consumer cooperatives. To “typify the spirit” of his model, the author also details two existing, successful examples of public ownership: oil development in Norway and renewable energy initiatives in Denmark. Cumbers recognizes that a transition to a highly democratic economy based on public ownership would take considerable political work and dedication to interacting with governments and institutions. Yet, Cumbers is optimistic; the continuing “popularity of public ownership among the wider population in opposition to, and despite, the negative rhetoric of the mainstream, corporate media” shows, he affirms, a positive and hopeful sign of what is possible." (http://www.thenextsystem.org/new-systems-series-volume-six/)