Avner de‐Shalit
- Published in print:
- 2000
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780199240388
- eISBN:
- 9780191599033
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199240388.003.0007
- Subject:
- Political Science, Environmental Politics
Many theorists are happy with democracy as a means to protect the environment; however, there is empirical evidence that democracy is not enough to guarantee environment friendly policies. This ...
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Many theorists are happy with democracy as a means to protect the environment; however, there is empirical evidence that democracy is not enough to guarantee environment friendly policies. This chapter examines the economic arrangements (private vs. public ownership, decentralized and free market, centralized and planned production) that are more likely to protect the environment. It is argued that despite current scepticism, democratic socialism is best for the environment, although the case with public ownership of property is more complicated: it is more likely to protect the environment when the relevant ownership is of means of production, but not necessarily when the question is of the object that is being polluted.Less
Many theorists are happy with democracy as a means to protect the environment; however, there is empirical evidence that democracy is not enough to guarantee environment friendly policies. This chapter examines the economic arrangements (private vs. public ownership, decentralized and free market, centralized and planned production) that are more likely to protect the environment. It is argued that despite current scepticism, democratic socialism is best for the environment, although the case with public ownership of property is more complicated: it is more likely to protect the environment when the relevant ownership is of means of production, but not necessarily when the question is of the object that is being polluted.
RAPHAEL SCHAPIRO
- Published in print:
- 2003
- Published Online:
- January 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199260201
- eISBN:
- 9780191717352
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199260201.003.0008
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Modern History, Economic History
This chapter presents a theoretically informed discussion on the origins and development of public ownership in Britain. It focuses on a period of history when different economic and political forces ...
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This chapter presents a theoretically informed discussion on the origins and development of public ownership in Britain. It focuses on a period of history when different economic and political forces were operating, a time when municipalization and private ownership were both considered to be viable options. It argues that despite much contemporary and historical perception to the contrary, the inexorable absorption of infrastructure services by the public sector was more a product of agency problems than a function of the political complexion of government.Less
This chapter presents a theoretically informed discussion on the origins and development of public ownership in Britain. It focuses on a period of history when different economic and political forces were operating, a time when municipalization and private ownership were both considered to be viable options. It argues that despite much contemporary and historical perception to the contrary, the inexorable absorption of infrastructure services by the public sector was more a product of agency problems than a function of the political complexion of government.
Mark Thatcher
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780199245680
- eISBN:
- 9780191715273
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199245680.003.0008
- Subject:
- Political Science, Political Economy
This chapter shows why transnational technological and economic developments and regulatory reforms in the US failed to result in major institutional changes in France, West Germany, and Italy ...
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This chapter shows why transnational technological and economic developments and regulatory reforms in the US failed to result in major institutional changes in France, West Germany, and Italy between 1965 and 1987 (just before detailed EU regulation began). Traditional institutional arrangements were highly protective of national suppliers in the mid-1960s, notably publicly-owned suppliers enjoying wide monopolies. During the 1960s and 1970s, suppliers faced major problems, including lack of investment and inability to meet demand. Existing institutions were widely regarded as inefficient and unable to meet transnational technological and economic pressures. Yet even modest reforms were blocked by a determined coalition led by trade unions, employees, and political parties. Instead, policies that did not require major institutional changes were used and/or inefficiencies were tolerated. Insofar as limited reforms were made, they widened cross-national contrasts, so that the two forms of internationalisation did not lead to institutional change or convergence.Less
This chapter shows why transnational technological and economic developments and regulatory reforms in the US failed to result in major institutional changes in France, West Germany, and Italy between 1965 and 1987 (just before detailed EU regulation began). Traditional institutional arrangements were highly protective of national suppliers in the mid-1960s, notably publicly-owned suppliers enjoying wide monopolies. During the 1960s and 1970s, suppliers faced major problems, including lack of investment and inability to meet demand. Existing institutions were widely regarded as inefficient and unable to meet transnational technological and economic pressures. Yet even modest reforms were blocked by a determined coalition led by trade unions, employees, and political parties. Instead, policies that did not require major institutional changes were used and/or inefficiencies were tolerated. Insofar as limited reforms were made, they widened cross-national contrasts, so that the two forms of internationalisation did not lead to institutional change or convergence.
János Kornai
- Published in print:
- 1992
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780198287766
- eISBN:
- 9780191596551
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0198287763.003.0005
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Economic Systems
The first part of the chapter explains the general concepts involved in ownership. It then considers some of the characteristic forms of private property (private ownership) typical of contemporary ...
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The first part of the chapter explains the general concepts involved in ownership. It then considers some of the characteristic forms of private property (private ownership) typical of contemporary capitalism, before going on to a methodical examination of property rights (public ownership) under the classical socialist system. This covers the state‐owned firm, other forms of state property, the co‐operative, and the very restricted scope of private property and private production.Less
The first part of the chapter explains the general concepts involved in ownership. It then considers some of the characteristic forms of private property (private ownership) typical of contemporary capitalism, before going on to a methodical examination of property rights (public ownership) under the classical socialist system. This covers the state‐owned firm, other forms of state property, the co‐operative, and the very restricted scope of private property and private production.
Mark Thatcher
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780199245680
- eISBN:
- 9780191715273
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199245680.003.0004
- Subject:
- Political Science, Political Economy
This chapter analyses how and why two forms of internationalisation — transnational technological and economic developments and reforms in the US — were met with institutional inertia, or at most ...
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This chapter analyses how and why two forms of internationalisation — transnational technological and economic developments and reforms in the US — were met with institutional inertia, or at most limited divergent reforms in France, West Germany, and Italy between the mid-1960s and 1985. It shows that the two forms of internationalisation placed major pressures on traditional sectoral institutions that were very long-standing and protective of suppliers, such as public ownership of stock exchanges, legal monopolies, and the allocation of regulatory powers to governments and associations of brokers and exchanges. They led to debates in all three countries on modest reform proposals. Yet even limited alterations were largely blocked, due to the failure of governments to form a strong alliance with the leaders of stock exchanges that could overcome opposition to change. Instead, either poorly-functioning institutions were continued or non-institutional responses to internationalisation pressures were found.Less
This chapter analyses how and why two forms of internationalisation — transnational technological and economic developments and reforms in the US — were met with institutional inertia, or at most limited divergent reforms in France, West Germany, and Italy between the mid-1960s and 1985. It shows that the two forms of internationalisation placed major pressures on traditional sectoral institutions that were very long-standing and protective of suppliers, such as public ownership of stock exchanges, legal monopolies, and the allocation of regulatory powers to governments and associations of brokers and exchanges. They led to debates in all three countries on modest reform proposals. Yet even limited alterations were largely blocked, due to the failure of governments to form a strong alliance with the leaders of stock exchanges that could overcome opposition to change. Instead, either poorly-functioning institutions were continued or non-institutional responses to internationalisation pressures were found.
János Kornai
- Published in print:
- 1992
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780198287766
- eISBN:
- 9780191596551
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0198287763.003.0021
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Economic Systems
This chapter discusses the phenomenon of market socialism in the state sector. The practical changes involved in this constitute one of the major tendencies in the move away from classical socialism. ...
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This chapter discusses the phenomenon of market socialism in the state sector. The practical changes involved in this constitute one of the major tendencies in the move away from classical socialism. Aspects addressed are ideological antecedents; the application of market socialism in selected socialist countries (Yugoslavia, Hungary, China, Poland, Vietnam, and the Soviet Union); alternative strategies for deregulation; the firm's vertical dependence; the softness and hardness of budget constraint, and the firm's responsiveness to prices; the affinity between public ownership and bureaucratic coordination; horizontal relations of firms in public ownership; the relative proportions of bureaucratic and market coordination, and the interactions between them; and the relation between publicly owned firms and the private sector.Less
This chapter discusses the phenomenon of market socialism in the state sector. The practical changes involved in this constitute one of the major tendencies in the move away from classical socialism. Aspects addressed are ideological antecedents; the application of market socialism in selected socialist countries (Yugoslavia, Hungary, China, Poland, Vietnam, and the Soviet Union); alternative strategies for deregulation; the firm's vertical dependence; the softness and hardness of budget constraint, and the firm's responsiveness to prices; the affinity between public ownership and bureaucratic coordination; horizontal relations of firms in public ownership; the relative proportions of bureaucratic and market coordination, and the interactions between them; and the relation between publicly owned firms and the private sector.
Eric T. Freyfogle
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- September 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780813124391
- eISBN:
- 9780813134888
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University Press of Kentucky
- DOI:
- 10.5810/kentucky/9780813124391.003.0006
- Subject:
- Political Science, Environmental Politics
This chapter discusses the issue of land ownership, with particular attention to the distinction between private and public lands. One major difference between private and public land ownership ...
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This chapter discusses the issue of land ownership, with particular attention to the distinction between private and public lands. One major difference between private and public land ownership resides in who has the final decision over how land should be used. Decisions about public lands are mostly made by public decision-makers. On the other hand, private owners have a greater say in land-use decisions, but lawmakers commonly play important roles. Despite this distinction, there are some overlaps between two forms of ownership, owing mainly to the fact that both are defined by law and, as such, should serve to benefit the common good. The challenge in attempting to get truly good land use is coming up with better ways of combining public and private interests on the same piece of land. In discussions on land ownership and property rights, the idea that private and public ownership are two distinct categories should be eliminated to create better land-management arrangements.Less
This chapter discusses the issue of land ownership, with particular attention to the distinction between private and public lands. One major difference between private and public land ownership resides in who has the final decision over how land should be used. Decisions about public lands are mostly made by public decision-makers. On the other hand, private owners have a greater say in land-use decisions, but lawmakers commonly play important roles. Despite this distinction, there are some overlaps between two forms of ownership, owing mainly to the fact that both are defined by law and, as such, should serve to benefit the common good. The challenge in attempting to get truly good land use is coming up with better ways of combining public and private interests on the same piece of land. In discussions on land ownership and property rights, the idea that private and public ownership are two distinct categories should be eliminated to create better land-management arrangements.
James Foreman-Peck and Robert Millward
- Published in print:
- 1994
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198203599
- eISBN:
- 9780191675881
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198203599.003.0005
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Modern History, Economic History
Initially, local authority involvement was limited to the provision of railway track and by 1883 the local authorities owned one-third of the track mileage. The 1890s saw a rapid growth of electric ...
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Initially, local authority involvement was limited to the provision of railway track and by 1883 the local authorities owned one-third of the track mileage. The 1890s saw a rapid growth of electric tramways in which the municipalities were heavily involved. This chapter explains this shift to public ownership at the local level and proposes two fundamental causes. First, market failure arising from economies of scale and externalities provided the initial impetus for public intervention. Second, the form of intervention was affected by the unsatisfactory experience with arm's length regulation and by the sectional interests of ratepayers who used the opportunity of intervention to further their own needs. Before any of these issues can be addressed, it is necessary to sketch out some of the background of the new utilities.Less
Initially, local authority involvement was limited to the provision of railway track and by 1883 the local authorities owned one-third of the track mileage. The 1890s saw a rapid growth of electric tramways in which the municipalities were heavily involved. This chapter explains this shift to public ownership at the local level and proposes two fundamental causes. First, market failure arising from economies of scale and externalities provided the initial impetus for public intervention. Second, the form of intervention was affected by the unsatisfactory experience with arm's length regulation and by the sectional interests of ratepayers who used the opportunity of intervention to further their own needs. Before any of these issues can be addressed, it is necessary to sketch out some of the background of the new utilities.
James Foreman-Peck and Robert Millward
- Published in print:
- 1994
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198203599
- eISBN:
- 9780191675881
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198203599.003.0008
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Modern History, Economic History
The industries which were nationalised in the 1940s have been described as ‘basic’, a loose but commonly used phrase meaning no more than that they were part of the fuel and transport infrastructure ...
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The industries which were nationalised in the 1940s have been described as ‘basic’, a loose but commonly used phrase meaning no more than that they were part of the fuel and transport infrastructure or were producers of major capital goods like iron and steel. Nationalisation means that all the assets associated with specific products or services are brought under public ownership. Many of the existing companies had substantial ancillary activities which were difficult to unscramble from the main line of business; hence whole undertakings were often acquired. The railways were nationalised and the new Railway Executive had a monopoly on all rail services. Nationalisation was thus associated with the sale of certain products and services under monopoly conditions which were enshrined in the nationalisation statutes.Less
The industries which were nationalised in the 1940s have been described as ‘basic’, a loose but commonly used phrase meaning no more than that they were part of the fuel and transport infrastructure or were producers of major capital goods like iron and steel. Nationalisation means that all the assets associated with specific products or services are brought under public ownership. Many of the existing companies had substantial ancillary activities which were difficult to unscramble from the main line of business; hence whole undertakings were often acquired. The railways were nationalised and the new Railway Executive had a monopoly on all rail services. Nationalisation was thus associated with the sale of certain products and services under monopoly conditions which were enshrined in the nationalisation statutes.
Ben Jackson
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- July 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780719073069
- eISBN:
- 9781781701454
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Manchester University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7228/manchester/9780719073069.003.0007
- Subject:
- Political Science, UK Politics
An important feature of the ensuing debate about the nature of socialism was a renewed engagement with the ideal of equality. This chapter begins by examining the well-known debate in this period ...
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An important feature of the ensuing debate about the nature of socialism was a renewed engagement with the ideal of equality. This chapter begins by examining the well-known debate in this period about the status of public ownership within socialist thought. It argues that this was primarily a debate about the mechanism that could best realise an egalitarian society rather than a disagreement over the meaning of ‘equality’ itself; there was in fact only minimal disagreement within the Left in this period about the meaning of such distributive principles. In contrast to some widespread perceptions of revisionist ideology, the chapter concludes that they were committed to an egalitarian, non-meritocratic view of justice.Less
An important feature of the ensuing debate about the nature of socialism was a renewed engagement with the ideal of equality. This chapter begins by examining the well-known debate in this period about the status of public ownership within socialist thought. It argues that this was primarily a debate about the mechanism that could best realise an egalitarian society rather than a disagreement over the meaning of ‘equality’ itself; there was in fact only minimal disagreement within the Left in this period about the meaning of such distributive principles. In contrast to some widespread perceptions of revisionist ideology, the chapter concludes that they were committed to an egalitarian, non-meritocratic view of justice.
James Foreman-Peck and Robert Millward
- Published in print:
- 1994
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198203599
- eISBN:
- 9780191675881
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198203599.001.0001
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Modern History, Economic History
Britain led the way for much of the world with industrial privatisation during the 1980s. Yet the historical origins of the process that was being reversed have rarely been examined. This is a study ...
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Britain led the way for much of the world with industrial privatisation during the 1980s. Yet the historical origins of the process that was being reversed have rarely been examined. This is a study of public and private ownership in industries such as railways, gas, water, electricity, and telecommunications. Industries such as these rely upon a substantial physical distribution network that ‘channels’ their service from source to destination. They thus raise distinctive problems for government policy, as their requirement for some sort of unified system is incompatible with the coexistence of a number of competing service suppliers. Yet competition has been the traditional guarantee of ‘fair’ and minimum prices in British industrial policy. This tension between experience and ideology provoked a variety of government policies over the last two centuries. This book provides an economic history of the network industries, which continue to play an important role in the British economy. It traces the development of various institutional arrangements from the early 19th century until the end of the 1980s, and provides quantitative estimates of their performance.Less
Britain led the way for much of the world with industrial privatisation during the 1980s. Yet the historical origins of the process that was being reversed have rarely been examined. This is a study of public and private ownership in industries such as railways, gas, water, electricity, and telecommunications. Industries such as these rely upon a substantial physical distribution network that ‘channels’ their service from source to destination. They thus raise distinctive problems for government policy, as their requirement for some sort of unified system is incompatible with the coexistence of a number of competing service suppliers. Yet competition has been the traditional guarantee of ‘fair’ and minimum prices in British industrial policy. This tension between experience and ideology provoked a variety of government policies over the last two centuries. This book provides an economic history of the network industries, which continue to play an important role in the British economy. It traces the development of various institutional arrangements from the early 19th century until the end of the 1980s, and provides quantitative estimates of their performance.
Andrew Cumbers
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- September 2017
- ISBN:
- 9781447331148
- eISBN:
- 9781447331162
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Policy Press
- DOI:
- 10.1332/policypress/9781447331148.003.0012
- Subject:
- Political Science, Comparative Politics
Despite the spectacular failure of market fundamentalism in Europe and the US, with a seemingly never-ending spate of corporate scandals and financial crises, the grip of a neoliberal economic policy ...
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Despite the spectacular failure of market fundamentalism in Europe and the US, with a seemingly never-ending spate of corporate scandals and financial crises, the grip of a neoliberal economic policy discourse among political and economic elites seems unshakeable. If anything, neoliberal policies of privatisation, labour market deregulation and state and welfare retrenchment seem to have been ratcheted up since the 2008-9 financial crisis. How can a left and more progressive politics– even in the form of a moderate eco-Keynesianism – be reasserted in these circumstances? This chapter argues that there has, until recently, been a serious vacuum in left and progressive circles about alternative economic models that might challenge the mainstream consensus. Cumbers uses the lens of public ownership, and examples from recent research in Denmark and Germany, to argue for the need to remake and re-scale institutional structures and practices on the left to successfully contest neoliberalism and construct more progressive, egalitarian and sustainable economies and societies.Less
Despite the spectacular failure of market fundamentalism in Europe and the US, with a seemingly never-ending spate of corporate scandals and financial crises, the grip of a neoliberal economic policy discourse among political and economic elites seems unshakeable. If anything, neoliberal policies of privatisation, labour market deregulation and state and welfare retrenchment seem to have been ratcheted up since the 2008-9 financial crisis. How can a left and more progressive politics– even in the form of a moderate eco-Keynesianism – be reasserted in these circumstances? This chapter argues that there has, until recently, been a serious vacuum in left and progressive circles about alternative economic models that might challenge the mainstream consensus. Cumbers uses the lens of public ownership, and examples from recent research in Denmark and Germany, to argue for the need to remake and re-scale institutional structures and practices on the left to successfully contest neoliberalism and construct more progressive, egalitarian and sustainable economies and societies.
János Kornai
- Published in print:
- 1992
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780198287766
- eISBN:
- 9780191596551
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0198287763.003.0020
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Economic Systems
The introduction of self‐management into firms in public ownership is an important tendency during the process of reform of classical socialism, although it is less radical than the intrusion of the ...
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The introduction of self‐management into firms in public ownership is an important tendency during the process of reform of classical socialism, although it is less radical than the intrusion of the private sector. Its basic principle is that the head of the firm is chosen by the workers rather than appointed from above as in a state‐owned firm; the workforce also disposes over the residual income after costs and taxes. The chapter discusses self‐management as an intellectual and political trend; political relations in self‐management—whether it is voluntarily initiated or imposed from above (as in the case of Yugoslavia, which is described); the economic effects of self‐management; relations between manager and workers; and ethical coordination.Less
The introduction of self‐management into firms in public ownership is an important tendency during the process of reform of classical socialism, although it is less radical than the intrusion of the private sector. Its basic principle is that the head of the firm is chosen by the workers rather than appointed from above as in a state‐owned firm; the workforce also disposes over the residual income after costs and taxes. The chapter discusses self‐management as an intellectual and political trend; political relations in self‐management—whether it is voluntarily initiated or imposed from above (as in the case of Yugoslavia, which is described); the economic effects of self‐management; relations between manager and workers; and ethical coordination.
Richard Green and Jonathan Haskel (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- February 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780226092843
- eISBN:
- 9780226092904
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Chicago Press
- DOI:
- 10.7208/chicago/9780226092904.003.0003
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, International
In 1979, when Margaret Thatcher came to power, publicly owned companies produced roughly 12 percent of GDP in the United Kingdom. By the time of the election of the Labour government in 1997, this ...
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In 1979, when Margaret Thatcher came to power, publicly owned companies produced roughly 12 percent of GDP in the United Kingdom. By the time of the election of the Labour government in 1997, this figure had fallen to 2 percent. At least in the United Kingdom, public ownership seems to have been discredited. What were the origins of privatization in the United Kingdom? Was the policy the natural outcome of Conservative thinking, or was it a decisive break from the past? Why has privatization proved so enduring? Why is renationalization off the agenda? Did privatization raise productivity in the companies concerned? If it did not, what future steps concerning privatization or the privatized companies can be taken that might improve performance? This chapter addresses these questions. It looks at the privatization of utilities in the country and reviews the evidence on the effects of privatization on productive efficiency, product quality, public-sector labor unions, and attitudes toward privatization. It also examines contracting out and the private finance initiative.Less
In 1979, when Margaret Thatcher came to power, publicly owned companies produced roughly 12 percent of GDP in the United Kingdom. By the time of the election of the Labour government in 1997, this figure had fallen to 2 percent. At least in the United Kingdom, public ownership seems to have been discredited. What were the origins of privatization in the United Kingdom? Was the policy the natural outcome of Conservative thinking, or was it a decisive break from the past? Why has privatization proved so enduring? Why is renationalization off the agenda? Did privatization raise productivity in the companies concerned? If it did not, what future steps concerning privatization or the privatized companies can be taken that might improve performance? This chapter addresses these questions. It looks at the privatization of utilities in the country and reviews the evidence on the effects of privatization on productive efficiency, product quality, public-sector labor unions, and attitudes toward privatization. It also examines contracting out and the private finance initiative.
Eli M. Noam
- Published in print:
- 2016
- Published Online:
- January 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780199987238
- eISBN:
- 9780190210182
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199987238.003.0032
- Subject:
- Sociology, Social Research and Statistics, Economic Sociology
This chapter examines and summarizes country data across all of the 30 nations surveyed in this study, chosen for their importance in the media world, their GDP, and population size. Four ...
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This chapter examines and summarizes country data across all of the 30 nations surveyed in this study, chosen for their importance in the media world, their GDP, and population size. Four concentration indices form the basis for country-by-country comparisons: the C4 and C1 indices, Herfindahl-Hirschman Index, Noam media concentration index, and power index. Each index is explained in its respective section, which details the following: what the index is; what the index represents; what the data show; the world averages of the index; the top and bottom countries relative to that world average; and the United States’ concentration numbers, as the largest of media markets. Also analyzed and compared are the number of media voices, the number of voices per capita, cross-ownership, ownership shares by foreign companies and public ownership.Less
This chapter examines and summarizes country data across all of the 30 nations surveyed in this study, chosen for their importance in the media world, their GDP, and population size. Four concentration indices form the basis for country-by-country comparisons: the C4 and C1 indices, Herfindahl-Hirschman Index, Noam media concentration index, and power index. Each index is explained in its respective section, which details the following: what the index is; what the index represents; what the data show; the world averages of the index; the top and bottom countries relative to that world average; and the United States’ concentration numbers, as the largest of media markets. Also analyzed and compared are the number of media voices, the number of voices per capita, cross-ownership, ownership shares by foreign companies and public ownership.
Louise Humpage
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- May 2015
- ISBN:
- 9781847429650
- eISBN:
- 9781447304197
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Policy Press
- DOI:
- 10.1332/policypress/9781847429650.003.0004
- Subject:
- Political Science, Public Policy
The most fundamental and enduring aspect of neoliberalisation is its economic agenda, predicated on low inflation, globalised free trade, support for business and a rebalancing of the worker-employer ...
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The most fundamental and enduring aspect of neoliberalisation is its economic agenda, predicated on low inflation, globalised free trade, support for business and a rebalancing of the worker-employer relationship. The first section of this chapter focuses on how such changes interacted with New Zealand views on government’s responsibility to provide jobs and on import and wage controls, while a second is concerned with New Zealand views on unions and a third considers whether a more ‘business friendly’ economy and the privatisation of many state-owned assets changed New Zealand attitudes towards big business and public ownership. Analysis is mainly focused on the covariance between policy and attitudes but the chapter examines whether the unemployment rate may influence responses regarding employment issues, while also considering how ideological affiliation and age mediate attitudes. Each section ends by comparing the New Zealand findings with the available data on attitudinal change in the United Kingdom and Australia. Overall, the chapter illustrates that support for employment-related aspects of social citizenship has in many cases diminished, providing some evidence that citizens have rolled over. But we need to unpack the three key issues discussed to understand neoliberalism’s mixed influence in the economic arena.Less
The most fundamental and enduring aspect of neoliberalisation is its economic agenda, predicated on low inflation, globalised free trade, support for business and a rebalancing of the worker-employer relationship. The first section of this chapter focuses on how such changes interacted with New Zealand views on government’s responsibility to provide jobs and on import and wage controls, while a second is concerned with New Zealand views on unions and a third considers whether a more ‘business friendly’ economy and the privatisation of many state-owned assets changed New Zealand attitudes towards big business and public ownership. Analysis is mainly focused on the covariance between policy and attitudes but the chapter examines whether the unemployment rate may influence responses regarding employment issues, while also considering how ideological affiliation and age mediate attitudes. Each section ends by comparing the New Zealand findings with the available data on attitudinal change in the United Kingdom and Australia. Overall, the chapter illustrates that support for employment-related aspects of social citizenship has in many cases diminished, providing some evidence that citizens have rolled over. But we need to unpack the three key issues discussed to understand neoliberalism’s mixed influence in the economic arena.
Andrew Cumbers
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- January 2018
- ISBN:
- 9781447327226
- eISBN:
- 9781447327240
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Policy Press
- DOI:
- 10.1332/policypress/9781447327226.003.0010
- Subject:
- Political Science, Public Policy
Denmark’s successful shift from fossil fuel dependency to being a world leader in renewable energies has rightly gained international plaudits. Rather less is known about the role of the state and ...
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Denmark’s successful shift from fossil fuel dependency to being a world leader in renewable energies has rightly gained international plaudits. Rather less is known about the role of the state and the growth of cooperative and often innovative forms of public ownership in facilitating this process. This flies in the face of dominant neoliberal practices of governance and highlights the potential and even essential role that forms of economic democracy can play in developing an alternative pathway towards low carbon transition. The chapter reflects on both the opportunities but also the tensions involved in development such alternatives.Less
Denmark’s successful shift from fossil fuel dependency to being a world leader in renewable energies has rightly gained international plaudits. Rather less is known about the role of the state and the growth of cooperative and often innovative forms of public ownership in facilitating this process. This flies in the face of dominant neoliberal practices of governance and highlights the potential and even essential role that forms of economic democracy can play in developing an alternative pathway towards low carbon transition. The chapter reflects on both the opportunities but also the tensions involved in development such alternatives.
Werner Troesken (ed.)
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- February 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780226299570
- eISBN:
- 9780226299594
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Chicago Press
- DOI:
- 10.7208/chicago/9780226299594.003.0009
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Economic History
This chapter examines the history of public utility regulation in the U.S. focusing on regime change and corruption. It suggests that the move to public ownership in the early twentieth century and ...
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This chapter examines the history of public utility regulation in the U.S. focusing on regime change and corruption. It suggests that the move to public ownership in the early twentieth century and the move away from public ownership seventy-five years later were both associated with gains in service quality. This chapter also discusses Mancur Olson's view that change in any direction reduces corruption because of the ossification that all bureaucracies incur after some time.Less
This chapter examines the history of public utility regulation in the U.S. focusing on regime change and corruption. It suggests that the move to public ownership in the early twentieth century and the move away from public ownership seventy-five years later were both associated with gains in service quality. This chapter also discusses Mancur Olson's view that change in any direction reduces corruption because of the ossification that all bureaucracies incur after some time.
David Heald
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- January 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780748665822
- eISBN:
- 9780748693863
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Edinburgh University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3366/edinburgh/9780748665822.003.0005
- Subject:
- Political Science, European Union
This chapter examines social democratic policies on public expenditure, disentangling the various purposes and instruments. High public spending is not in itself a sign of social democracy and the ...
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This chapter examines social democratic policies on public expenditure, disentangling the various purposes and instruments. High public spending is not in itself a sign of social democracy and the author argues that a defence of public expenditure requires a hard-headed analysis of its economic and social impact.Less
This chapter examines social democratic policies on public expenditure, disentangling the various purposes and instruments. High public spending is not in itself a sign of social democracy and the author argues that a defence of public expenditure requires a hard-headed analysis of its economic and social impact.
Wu Jinglian, Ma Guochuan, Xiaofeng Hua, and Nancy Hearst
- Published in print:
- 2016
- Published Online:
- May 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780190223151
- eISBN:
- 9780190223182
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780190223151.003.0011
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental, International
An important task in the transition to a market economy is to transform the ownership structure. In 1993, a document of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party declared that management ...
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An important task in the transition to a market economy is to transform the ownership structure. In 1993, a document of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party declared that management of small state-owned enterprises could be contracted out, leased, shifted to partnerships, or sold to collectives or individuals. But these initiatives were met with criticism from so-called leftists in the form of several Ten-Thousand-Chinese-Word Manifestos. The manifestos criticized the government for letting the nonstate sector grow faster than the state sector. But officials and scholars in favor of the market-oriented reforms fought back, arguing that the state-owned enterprises should retreat from the competitive sectors. This debate came to an end when the 1997 Fifteenth Communist Party Congress called for a readjustment of the ownership structure, even though public ownership in various forms remained dominant in China’s economic system.Less
An important task in the transition to a market economy is to transform the ownership structure. In 1993, a document of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party declared that management of small state-owned enterprises could be contracted out, leased, shifted to partnerships, or sold to collectives or individuals. But these initiatives were met with criticism from so-called leftists in the form of several Ten-Thousand-Chinese-Word Manifestos. The manifestos criticized the government for letting the nonstate sector grow faster than the state sector. But officials and scholars in favor of the market-oriented reforms fought back, arguing that the state-owned enterprises should retreat from the competitive sectors. This debate came to an end when the 1997 Fifteenth Communist Party Congress called for a readjustment of the ownership structure, even though public ownership in various forms remained dominant in China’s economic system.
