Economy: Public / Private

What this axis explores

Public positions favor public, social or worker ownership and collective provision. Private positions favor private property, privatization and enterprise as the principal organizers of production and services. The focus is ownership and provision rather than every aspect of economic policy.

How the questions explore the axis

Questions cover strategic industries, public banking, land ownership, basic income, unions, universal services, inheritance, taxes, public employment and individual employment negotiation. Together they sample different ways of allocating economic responsibility.

Ownership and market coordination are separate questions. A society can use markets with public enterprises, or regulate an economy dominated by private firms. Read Economy with Control and Trade. Think separately about an enterprise’s ownership, its funding and the way a service reaches people. A publicly financed service may be delivered by a private organization. The questionnaire summarizes your responses across these cases, so one favored arrangement does not determine the whole axis.