O'Neill, Martin orcid.org/0000-0003-0487-0196 (2024) Public Provision in Democratic Societies:Reasons to Reject Privatization. Erasmus Journal for Philosophy and Economics. pp. 136-66. ISSN 1876-9098
Abstract
If we hope to see values of equality and democracy embodied in our societies’ institutions, then we have a range of good reasons to favor expansive public provision of goods and services, and to oppose many forms of privatization. While Joseph Heath is right to argue that there are at least some forms of ‘anodyne privatization’, and while he is also right to argue for a more nuanced philosophical debate about the different dimensions of choice between forms of public and private provision, Heath fails to register various regards in which private provision can undermine these central public values. We often have strong egalitarian and democratic reasons to protect zones of decommodification; to resist the imposition of user-charges; and to favor insourcing and direct public procurement over various forms of outsourcing of public services. Public libraries provide a totemic illustration of some of the deep virtues of collective public provision in democratic societies. Overall, our reasons to reject privatization are stronger and more diverse than theorists such as Heath might have supposed.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Keywords: | Privatisation,Privatization,Public goods,public provision,insourcing,outsourcing,social justice,public sector,libraries,democratic theory |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of York |
Academic Units: | The University of York > Faculty of Arts and Humanities (York) > Philosophy (York) |
Depositing User: | Pure (York) |
Date Deposited: | 29 Jan 2024 16:50 |
Last Modified: | 02 Apr 2025 23:27 |
Published Version: | https://doi.org/10.23941/ejpe.v16i2.823 |
Status: | Published |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.23941/ejpe.v16i2.823 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:208416 |