In November 2019, a new strain of coronavirus appeared in Wuhan, China, and quickly spread across the world. Since then, the pandemic has exposed the brutal limits of care and health under capitalism. Pandemonium underscores the turning-points between neoliberalism and authoritarian government, crystallised by ineffective responses to the pandemic. In so doing, it questions capitalist understandings of order and disorder, of health and disease, and the new world borders which proliferate through distinctly capitalist definitions of risk and uncertainty. From the origins of the crisis at the crossroads of fossil-fuelled pollution and the privatisation of healthcare in China, Angela Mitropoulos follows the virus' spread as governments embraced reckless strategies of 'containment' and 'herd immunity.' Exoticist explanations of the pandemic and the recourse to quarantines and travel bans racialised the disease, while the reluctance to expand healthcare capacity displaced the risk onto private households and private wealth. Tracing iterations of borders through the histories of population theory, the political contract and epidemiology, Mitropoulos discusses the circuits of capitalist value in pharmaceuticals, protective equipment and catastrophe bonds. These and the treatment of populations as capitalist 'stock' in demands to 'reopen the economy' reveal a world where the very definition of 'the economy' and infrastructure are fundamentally shifting. Much will depend on how these are understood, and debts are reckoned, in the months and years to come.

The late Honourable Michael Wilson was a Canadian politician and business professional. As Minister of Finance under Brian Mulroney, Wilson was one of the key negotiators of the Canada-United States Free Trade Agreement - one of Canada's most important economic agreements in the last 50 years, later superseded by NAFTA. In addition, Wilson was responsible for implementing the controversial Goods and Services Tax (GST), which remains key to the federal government today. After his life in Parliament, Wilson served as Ambassador to the United States and Chancellor of the University of Toronto. Outside of politics, Wilson was active in raising awareness of mental health issues following the traumatic loss of his son, Cameron, to suicide. Devoting considerable time to advocacy, he established the Cameron Parker Holcombe Wilson Chair in Depression Studies at the University of Toronto and served as Board Chair for the Mental Health Commission of Canada. Something within Me highlights how Wilson's personal life blended with his political life and accomplishments, detailing his advocacy for mental health awareness as well his involvement in important pieces of legislation that made significant impacts in Canadian political and economic history. These deeply personal stories, particularly those of a father grappling with his son's illness and death, remind us of the lives behind the political personas that shape our world.

This is Volume II of Professor Parker's authoritative Official History of Privatisation, covering the period from the re-election of Margaret Thatcher in 1987 to the election of Tony Blair in 1997. Volume II considers in detail several of the major privatisations, including those of airports, steel, water, electricity, coal and the railways, as well as a number of smaller ones. Each privatisation involved major challenges in terms of industrial restructuring, organising successful sales and, in a number of cases, establishing effective regulatory regimes. The policy evolved and new methods of selling and regulating were put in place that enabled further disposals to occur. Monolithic nationalised industries with their emphasis on the benefits of economies of scale, vertical integration and rationalisation, were replaced by industrial structures rooted in the importance of commercial management, risk taking and competition. In government departments and parts of the National Health Service, direct employees were replaced by private contractors, and private investment became a characteristic of public infrastructure in the form of PFI/PPP schemes. This study draws heavily on the official records of the British government, to which the author was given full access and on interviews with the leading figures involved in each of the privatisations, including ex-ministers, civil servants, business and City figures, as well as academics that have studied the subject. This book will of great interest to students of privatisation, British political history and of business and economics in general.

This insightful book demonstrates how China has emerged as one of the world's largest privatizing countries within a decade.Since the 1980s, there has been a global wave of transfer of state assets to private hands. China is a relatively late participant in this worldwide trend, yet, in the last decade it has emerged as one of the largest privatizing countries. Shu-Yun Ma argues that China?s privatization is not based on any grand blueprint; rather, it is privatization by ?groping for stones to cross the river?, a well-known metaphor often attributed to Deng Xiaoping, meaning that the reform simply proceeds on a trial-and-error basis without being guided by any theory.With original case studies, including one on China?s first industrial shareholding enterprise, this informative book, will be of great interest to the academic community, China observers and policymakers, as well as financial analysts.

The privatization of water supply is an emotive and controversial topic. The 'British model' of water privatization is unique: no other country has entirely privatized its water supply and sewerage systems. This book analyzes the socio-economic and environmental dimensions in privatization in England and Wales. It examines the implications of privatization for consumers, environmental management, and the water supply industry.

The public sector's need for new revenues, sparked by political change and economic pressures at home and abroad, has reversed the century-old trend toward government growth in favor of private sector management and ownership. Political upheaval in Eastern Europe, crippling debt in Latin America, and a volatile North American economy have created a climate in which privatization has emerged as a dramatic new business opportunity. While providing governments with a chance to cut losses and quickly generate much-needed cash, privatization offers new investment opportunities with strong upside potential for businesses. From news-making purchases involving Russian railroads and Brazilian agro-industries, to more modest investments, such as Romanian shoe factories and Texas grade schools, state-owned enterprises (SOEs) have consistently, proven to be among the most sought-after buys of the past decade. Based on years of privatization consulting by the professionals at Ernst & Young in Europe, Asia, Latin America, the U.S., and Canada, this new book provides practical guidance for involvement in and purchasing of state-owned enterprises. Combining principle with real-life case studies, this hands-on guide takes you step-by-step through the entire process - from research and planning to negotiating, purchasing, and managing.

This volume examines energy security in a privatized, liberalized, and increasingly global energy market, in which the concept of sustainability has developed together with a higher awareness of environmental issues, but where the potential for supply disruptions, price fluctuation, and threats to infrastructure safety must also be considered. Part I commences with an essential introductory chapter which defines energy security and sets forth the key issues and themes of the book. There then follow several cross-cutting chapters which include sceptical analysis of energy security claims from an environmental perspective and a broader geopolitical analysis of energy security. Part II examines a wide variety of international, regional, and national approaches to energy security issues. Energy security concerns differ considerably from country to country, however most of the chapters examining particular nations provide an economic and historical context of their energy security concerns, followed by a detailed analysis of the legal provisions relating to each of the main energy sectors (oil, gas, coal, electricity, nuclear, and renewable energies). This entails examination of regulation, organization, and planning for security and other purposes. In a number of cases, energy security law is shaped by other factors such as market liberalization, environmental protection, and competition policy. Part III comprises two final chapters, the first contrasting the various national and regional approaches and analysing cross-cutting issues, whilst the concluding chapter forecasts future trends in the legal regulation of energy security.

The book analyses both the macro and micro factors under which policies of privatization of nationalized industries took place in Argentina, Brazil, and Peru. It examines the economics of achieving privatization, the policy reform that took place, and the factors that emerged to wither encourage or deter privatization.

During the last decade, privatization, understood here as the transfer of state-owned enterprises to the private sector, has become a widespread phenomenon among formerly socialist and mixed economies. It has been touted as a quick route to growth and prosperity in countries suffering from bloated, inefficient, and debt ridden public sectors. The contributors to this book, drawn from a number of social science disciplines, explore the various ways in which privatization programs affect workers in the reforming countries. The book includes an examination of how privatization impacts on labor economically, by changing the level and conditions of employment, as well as its influence on wages, benefits, and social services. A second section looks at the political effects of privatization on workers, focusing on the strength and militancy of trade unions and their relationship to political parties. The essays, written by scholars as well as policy practitioners, cover both post-socialist countries, including Russia, China, and Eastern Europe, and the developing regions - the Middle East, sub-Saharan Africa, and Latin America. Scholars and students in economics and political science as well as policymakers will find this collection a welcome addition to the literature on privatization.

The Brand-Driven CEO demonstrates how senior leadership can use their brand to align and guide the behaviors, decisions, and operations of their entire organization in order to drive value. David Kincaid delivers practical assessments and game plans for senior executives and managers across functional areas, clarifying the confusion between brand and marketing management. He introduces the "New 4Ps" of brand management: People, Process, Intellectual Property, and Partnerships. This paradigm shift equips business leaders with a new approach to managing growth, profitability, risk, and sustainable value. Using real-life, current case studies from today's fastest growing and most valuable brands - including Starbucks, Apple, and BMW - this book reveals the critical importance of managing big businesses as integrated business systems. The Brand-Driven CEO includes criteria to conduct your own brand self-assessment and a stepby-step roadmap that can be applied to help transform your brand and its management.

Lyall and Sell have opened a candid public policy discussion about the future of public universities. This is the only book-length treatment of public higher education finance at the beginning of the 21st century that looks comprehensively at state experiments and dilemmas, and attempts to envision possible future paths. Lyall and Sell describe market forces that are eroding the traditional partnership between states and public universities. By outlining how the search for new revenue sources is refocusing the basic goals of public universities, the authors clarify what has gone wrong_and what can be done to save these valuable American institutions.

Privatization has spread worldwide during the 1980s and 1990s, reshaping the balance between state and market in many countries. This book provides a comparative political analysis of privatization in the UK, United States and France. The authors argue that privatization is a political phenomenon and should be analyzed as such, rather than as an economic response to the growth of the state and the cost of state provision. The book will be of interest to students of politics, economics, public policy and business studies, as well as to policy-makers and business consultants.

On the 14th June 2017, a fire engulfed a tower block in West London, seventy-two people lost their lives and hundreds of others were left displaced and traumatised. The Grenfell Tower fire is the epicentre of a long history of violence enacted by government and corporations. On its second anniversary activists, artists and academics come together to respond, remember and recover the disaster. The Grenfell Tower fire illustrates Britain's symbolic order; the continued logic of colonialism, the disposability of working class lives, the marketisation of social provision and global austerity politics, and the negligence and malfeasance of multinational contractors. Exploring these topics and more, the contributors construct critical analysis from legal, cultural, media, community and government responses to the fire, asking whether, without remedy for multifaceted power and violence, we will ever really be 'after' Grenfell? With poetry by Ben Okri and Tony Walsh, and photographs by Parveen Ali, Sam Boal and Yolanthe Fawehinmi. With contributions from Phil Scraton, Daniel Renwick, Nadine El-Enany, Sarah Keenan, Gracie Mae Bradley and The Radical Housing Network.

This book addresses two different but related topics that can arise during the development of equity capital markets and which could possibly hinder their development: partial privatisation and shareholder rights. Both issues are developed in the context of transition economies in general and Russia in particular. Chapter 2 puts forward a theory of partial privatisation, i. e. a model that aims to explain why the state keeps some residual shares. Several recent surveys for Russia have shown that the state does often not actively use the voting rights of its residual shares. If this was true, partial privati sation could entrench management and hinder restructuring. It would also limit the supply of shares, which could lead to low liquidity. This would be likely to slow down the development of the equity capital market. However, the model in chapter 2 shows that it can be rational to hold back shares from sale in order to maximise privatisation receipts. Another issue which holds back the development of this market is the fact that shareholder rights can not be guaranteed by the state due to weak institutions. Chapter 3 contains an empirical examination of which firms honour shareholder rights and also provides a direct link between this problem and partial privatisation. Maybe surprisingly, some weak evidence is presented that shows that the residual state holding does not exert a negative influence with respect to the introduc tion of shareholder rights, but might even be a weak positive force."

Contracting out public sector services and divesting public enterprises are reforms that have enjoyed widespread global popularity in recent years. Better services, lower prices and greater accountability are the promises made by politicians, senior executives, and investment companies when functions are moved from the public sector to private enterprise. But in Privatization, Graeme A. Hodge challenges these assumptions. Through an examination of hundreds of international studies on the performance of privatization activities, Hodge demonstrates that privatizing public services is often not the guaranteed panacea portrayed by its political supporters. Importantly, privatization activities can lead to modest gains, but there are also winners and losers in this reform. It therefore deserves far more care and balanced debate than it usually attracts.

This timely new book provides an international perspective on Public Private Partnerships. Through 21 case studies, it investigates the existing and fast developing body of principles and practices from a wide range of countries and is the first book to bring together leading international academics and practitioners under a common framework that enables convenient cross-country comparisons. The authors focus on the impact of the financial crisis has had on how governments have reviewed and overhauled their PPP policies as they have examined or tested new ways of partnering more effectively, efficiently and sustainably with the private sector. Readers will be able to gauge the level of maturity of PPP development in the book's case studies, understand similarities and differences in their practices, and gain useful insights into the regulatory framework and institutional infrastructure in place to support implementation of PPP. Finally, the book offers insights into the future challenges and opportunities that PPP offers stakeholders.

Nursing homes are where some of the most vulnerable live and work. In too many homes, the conditions of work make it difficult to make care as good as it can be. For the last eight years an international team from Germany, Sweden, Norway, the UK, the US and Canada have been searching for promising practices that treat residents, families and staff with dignity and respect in ways that can also bring joy. While we did find ideas worth sharing, we also saw a disturbing trend toward privatization. Privatization is the process of moving away not only from public delivery and public payment for health services but also from a commitment to shared responsibility, democratic decision-making, and the idea that the public sector operates according to a logic of service to all. This book documents moves toward privatization in the six countries and their consequences for families, staff, residents, and, eventually, us all. None of the countries has escaped pressure from powerful forces in and outside government pushing for privatization in all its forms. However, the wide variations in the extent and nature of privatization indicate privatization is not inevitable and our research shows there are alternatives.

Public-private collaboration in infrastructure projects takes place in a variety of institutional frameworks worldwide. This volume considers the different cultural, political and legal settings in the US, UK, Japan and other countries and regions where policymakers are reconsidering traditional mechanisms for raising and deploying capital. By focusing on concrete examples in specific countries, the editors and contributors draw useful lessons for strong sector performance in telecommunications, power, water and social infrastructure. Innovative strategies that work can be modified and refined in other sectors and other countries. Going beyond ideological debate, this volume presents a pragmatic approach to best practice, one that combines market-oriented solutions with governmental oversight according to the specific cultural and institutional situations. Regulators, academics, policymakers, politicians, and students in public policy, finance and economics will find this volume practical and original.

Public services throughout Europe have undergone dramatic restructuring processes in recent years in connection with liberalization and privatization. While evaluations of the successes of public services have focused on prices and efficiency, much less attention has been paid to the impacts of liberalization and privatization on employment, labor relations, and working conditions. This book addresses this gap by illustrating the ways in which liberalization has contributed to increasing private and foreign ownership of public services, the decentralization of labor relations has amplified pressure on wages, and decreasing employment numbers and increasing workloads have improved productivity partly at the cost of service quality. Examining diverse public-service sectors including network industries, public transportation, and hospitals, and using international case studies, Privatization of Public Services covers a wide range of aspects of service provision, with particular emphasis on companies and workers. The result is a unique picture of the changes created by the liberalization processes in Europe.

Contemporary privatization remakes nature-society as property and transforms people's relationships to themselves, each other, and the natural world. This groundbreaking collection provides the first systematic analysis of neo-liberal privatization. Rich case studies of privatization in the making reveal both the pivotal role that privatization plays in neoliberalism and new opportunities for challenging neo-liberal hegemony. Rich case studies linked to broader questions on neoliberalism Illustrates the importance of property relation and the complexities existing in the meaning and practice of property Extends current geographical scholarship on neoliberalism -including neoliberalism and nature Each essay touches on the disciplinary, regulatory dimensions of privatization Highlights the importance of privatization, both broadly and specifically

As fundamental changes in supplier-purchaser relationships are sweeping the industry, this newly revised handbook offers timely analysis and practical strategies for operating in this new environment.Written by electric regulation specialists from the Washington law firm of Reid & Priest, this edition includes all new coverage of least-cost planning, emissions allowances and trading, transmission access and energy imports. Explains the development of power purchasing options; provides sample power purchase agreements and describes key provisions; and reviews the current state of law in the field.

From 1978 through the turn of the century, China was transformed from a state-owned economy into a predominantly private economy. This fundamental change took place under the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which is ideologically mandated and politically predisposed to suppress private ownership. In Dancing with the Devil, Yi-min Lin explains how and why such an ironic and puzzling reality came about. The central thesis is that private ownership became a necessary evil for the CCP because the public sector was increasingly unable to address two essential concerns for regime survival: employment and revenue. Focusing on political actors as a major group of change agents, the book examines how their self-interested behavior led to the decline of public ownership. Demographics and the state's fiscal system provide the analytical coordinates for revealing the changing incentives and constraints faced by political actors and for investigating their responses and strategies. These factors help explain CCP leaders' initial decision to allow limited private economic activities at the outset of reform. They also shed light on the subsequent growth of opportunism in the behavior of lower level officials, which undermined the vitality of public enterprises. Furthermore, they hold a key to understanding the timing of the massive privatization in the late 1990s, as well as its tempo and spread thereafter. Dancing with the Devil illustrates how the driving forces developed and played out in these intertwined episodes of the story. In so doing, it offers new insights into the mechanisms of China's economic transformation and enriches theories of institutional change.

This book presents a comprehensive overview and critical analysis of the processes of liberalization and privatization, and their consequences for economic performance, social cohesion and political democracy in the European Union. It examines the main drivers and the various theoretical rationales for privatisation in the context of different schools of thinking.
It argues on the basis of broad empirical evidence that privatisation in Europe, particularly the ongoing privatization of social services, undermines the basic elements of the different social models that have developed in Europe. These arguments are supported by a number of in-depth case studies, with specific focus on health care, education and finance. The authors of this volume advance from this critique and explore the basic requirements for a progressive public sector and its role for economic, social and democratic development.
This book will be indispensable reading for all interested in Economic Policy, Public Sector Economics, European Integration and Political Science.

Every year the British government spends GBP80 billion outsourcing public services. Today, private companies are responsible for fulfilling some of the most sensitive and important roles of the state - running prisons and providing healthcare, transport, legal aid, even child protection. These organizations have been handed enormous amounts of power and yet for the most part they operate with no transparency or accountability. From deportations to NHS cutbacks, Alan White exposes what goes wrong when the invisible hand of the market is introduced into public services. Informed by exclusive interviews with senior managers, campaigners and whistle-blowers, Shadow State is the first book to examine the controversial phenomenon of government outsourcing. Not only does White provide the full story behind scandals involving G4S, Serco and ATOS, but he also reveals previously unknown cases of system failure in areas such as social care, welfare and justice. The picture that develops is deeply troubling.

One thing that mature, developing, or undeveloped nations have in common in today's global economy is the necessity to construct, repair, refurbish, and modernize their infrastructure. More and more governments are turning to the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) process to accomplish this expensive and enormously challenging task—allowing private developers to design, finance, construct, and operate revenue-producing public projects, and then turn them over to the community at the end of an agreed payback period.

The first book to explore this innovative approach to privatization, Build, Operate, Transfer covers the creation of BOT projects from the ground up. Using a real-world, case-oriented approach, it provides a comprehensive examination of the engineering, construction, and financial skills required to bring BOT ventures from the planning stage to design, construction, and operation. From the Channel Tunnel to the Dulles Greenway, the book examines both successful projects and troubled ones, extracting key information on what sets them apart—including such crucial factors as the importance of public support and government control in ensuring a positive outcome. You will also find specific coverage of construction techniques and procedures, plus financial comparisons, demographics, and other statistical data.

Whether you are a student or a professional working in engineering, construction, finance, or government, BOT cannot be ignored as an effective way to build infrastructure projects quickly, efficiently, and at minimal cost. This book equips you with both the comprehensive information and the practical guidance you need to put this dynamic practice into action.

The only book available on the BOT approach to private construction and maintenance of public projects—complete coverage from the ground up

Contractors the world over are discovering how to use private-public partnerships to build much-needed infrastructure projects quickly, efficiently, and at minimal cost. This book thoroughly explores the combination of engineering, construction, and financial skills required to bring these Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) ventures from the planning stage to design, construction, and operation. Based on a real-world, case-driven approach, Build, Operate, Transfer examines specific BOT projects, identifying key factors necessary to their successful implementation, and offering important guidance on avoiding common pitfalls. This practical book features: A full introduction to BOT systems, with diagrams of construction techniques and procedures, complete sample contract, and more

• Charts and graphs with financial analyses, demographic information, and important statistical data
• BOT examples from many different countries, including the United States, Britain, Japan, the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, and Mexico
• A broad spectrum of project types—from tunnel construction to highways and more
• Important guidance on keeping projects on time and on budget