Of the People, By the People: The Case for a Participatory Economy

by Robin Hahnel

Unless the economy is of the people and by the people it will never be for the people. This book is for people who want to know what a desirable alternative to capitalism might look like. It is for people who want more than rosy rhetoric and Pollyannaish descriptions of people working in harmony. It is for people who want to dig into what economic justice and economic democracy mean. It is a book for optimists—who believe the human species must be capable of something better than succumbing to competition and greed or authoritarianism, and would like to know how we can do it. It is also a book for skeptics—who demand to be shown, explicitly and concretely, how a modern economy can dispense with markets and authoritarian planning, and how hundreds of millions of people can manage their own division of labor efficiently and equitably.
Praise for Of the People, By the People:

"A lucid and compelling account of the outlines of a free and just society, how it would work, and how we can act to bring it about." —Noam Chomsky

"This is the clearest and most refined presentation yet to appear of participatory economics. Among the books that must be read by anyone serious about building a democratic economy that takes us beyond both traditional socialism and corporate capitalism. Robin Hahnel at his best!" —Gar Alperovitz

Genres: Economics, Politics, Nonfiction

148 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2012

About the author

Robin Eric Hahnel (born March 25, 1946) is Professor of Economics at Portland State University. He was a professor at American University for many years and traveled extensively advising on economic matters all over the world. He is best known for his work on participatory economics with Z Magazine editor Michael Albert.

Hahnel is a radical economist and political activist. Politically he considers himself a product of the New Left and is sympathetic to libertarian socialism. He has been active in many social movements and organizations for forty years, notably as a participant in student movements opposed to the American invasion of South Vietnam, more recently with the Southern Maryland Greens, a local chapter of the Maryland Green Party, and the Green Party of the United States. Hahnel's work in economic theory and analysis is informed by the work of Marx, Keynes, Piero Sraffa, Michał Kalecki, and Joan Robinson, among others. He has served as a visiting professor or economist in Cuba, Peru, and England.

Reviews

[Olga · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book. Robert Hahnel is brave in setting new ideas. Absolutely best part of his work is his attitude toward alternatives. There should not just be alternatives, rather there should be to some degree namely feasible alternatives. And he goes for it. The end of the book (written by Parecon Finland's member) has good contextualisation not only to Finnish society but to general tendencies in Western societies.