In this paper I take a hard look at both sides of the privatization of public
utilities: the pro-academic, Washington Consensus side, and the pro-people
side, to try to get to the bottom of whether privatization of public utilities
provides any net benefit.

You can download the paper in PDF format here.

	1 Background
	2 Introduction
		2.1 Why Privatize at All? 
		2.2 What makes Public Utilities Special?
	3 What are the Economic Effects of Privatization? 
		3.1 Effect on the Industry: Efficiency Gains 
		3.2 Overall Effect on GDP 
		3.3 Fiscal Effect: Proceeds from Privatization  
		3.4 Growth 
		3.5 Productivity 
		3.6 Welfare
		3.7 Labor and Employment 
		3.8 Income Distribution
	4 Why the Opposition to Privatization of Public Utilities? 
	5 How Can We Improve the Privatization Process? 
		5.1 Improvements that Provide Economic Gains
		5.2 Reforms to Address Inequality and the Poor 
			Lump Sum Redistribution and Taxation 
			Universal Service Clauses
		5.3 Timing and Regulation: the Ukraine Case
		5.4 Sequencing of Reforms 
		5.5 Corporate Governance  
		5.6 Competition
	6 Conclusion