The 99% Solution And The Development Of A Progressive Agenda

This is the first in a series of articles on a progressive vision of society. The series is co-sponsored by the Roosevelt Institute and Salon magazine. For the last thirty years conservatives have funded numerous public policy "think tanks" to develop and distribute a particular vision of the conservative society. It stresses the virtues of markets and the negatives of government. Markets are purported to maximize freedom and governments are viewed as threat to personal liberty. Moreover, the profit motive is promoted as the best way to provide the efficient delivery of goods and services. It is assumed that government agencies have no incentive to provide efficient services since they are not subject to the discipline of the market. The well funded attack on government, and the promotion of free markets has been successful. There is no comparable mass of progressive institutions that are funded to develop and distribute a progressive agenda. This series is small step in the right directions. Markets and government have unique roles to perform in society. Both have strengths and weaknesses. We need to have a better understanding of the strengths and weakness of each.

The first article in this series is about the outsourcing of government services to private industry. There has been a widespread outflow of tax dollars to private industry to provide services that once were provided by government. The public is viewed as consumers of services and it is argued that markets are better able to satisfy consumer needs than government. It is also argued that markets can deliver services at lower costs than government. This article illustrates the numerous risks that are inherent in that perspective and it also stresses the need for government to do a better job of monitoring its own agencies.