Privatisation: theory and practice

Abstract

Privatisation has been one of the most obvious and controversial aspects of the global trend to neoliberal economics over the past forty years. Across the globe, neoliberal governments and regimes have pursued privatisation policies ranging from the wholesale sell-off of nationalised industries and public services to more 'subtle' policies of marketisation or ‘outsourcing', where state controlled entities and service provision are ‘opened to competition'.