Foundational Economy ― The Infrastructure of Everyday Life

Privatization, market choice, outsourcing: these have been the watchwords that have shaped policy in numerous democratic states in the last generation. The end result is the degradation of the foundational economy. The foundational economy concept encompasses the material infrastructure at the foundation of civilised life - like water pipes and sewers - and the providential services like education, health care and care for the old which are at the base of any civilised life. Our book shows how these services were built up in the century up between 1880 and 1980 so that they were collectively paid for, collectively delivered and collectively consumed. This system of collective provision has been undermined in the age of privatization and outsourcing. We describe the principles that should guide renewal of the foundational economy, and the practical initiatives which could begin to put these principles into practice.

The members of the Foundational Economy collective are: Davide Arcidiacono, Filippo Barbera, Andrew Bowman, John Buchanan, Sandro Busso, Joselle Dagnes, Joe Earle, Ewald Engelen, Peter Folkman, Julie Froud, Colin Haslam, Sukhdev Johal, Ian Jones, Dario Minervini, Mick Moran, Fabio Mostaccio, Gabriella Pauli, Leonhard Plank, Angelo Salento, Ferdinando Spina, Nick Tsitsianis, Karel Williams.