Warner, M.E. 2007. "Reversing Privatization, Rebalancing Government Reform: Markets, Deliberation and Planning," Paper presented at international conference, Reasserting the Public in Delivery of Public Services, organized by M. Ramesh, National University of Singapore, Sept 2007.
The last decades of the 20th century witnessed a profound experiment to increase the role of markets in local government service delivery. However, that experiment has failed to deliver adequately on efficiency, equity or voice criteria. This has led to reversals. But this de-privatization process is not a return to the direct public monopoly delivery model of old. Instead it heralds the emergence of a new balanced position which combines use of markets, deliberation and planning to reach decisions which may be both efficient and more socially optimal.
Subject: Privatization