Transcript and e-book following Revisiting Associative Democracy conference

The Public Policy Unit has collaborated with a range of other organizationsto produce a new e-book, Revisiting Associative Democracy. Edited by Andrea Westall, the e-book is free to download at http://lwbooks.co.uk/ebooks/AssociativeDemocracy.html

The e-book takes as its focus the work of the political theorist, Paul Hirst, who argued for an associative democracy based on: greater democracy and localism in the UK state; a devolution of welfare provision to civil society associations but with the state retaining its role as chief financer of provision; and greater mutuality, co-operativism and industrial democracy in the economy.

Contributors include Anthony Barnett, Rosemary Bechler, Ian Christie, Maurice Glasman, Su Maddock, Samantha Mauger, Jonathan Michie, Graham Smith, Penny Shepherd, Andrea Westall, and Stuart White. They discuss Hirsts ideas and use the discussionto engage critically with todays debates over the so-called Big Society, mutualism and the role of the state.

The book is based on a conference on associative democracy supported by the Public Policy Unit,openDemocracy.net, the JRSST Charitable Trust, and Coin St Community Builders. A transcript of the conference is also available.