Democracy and the future of work

Summary

This article proposes economic citizenship as the answer to anxiety about the state of democracy amid political polarization. At present, increasing rejection of democratic practices such as dialogue and elections reflects deeper disaffection with the lacking economic guarantees of political democracy, leading to a reaction of often banal and antagonistic sovereigntism. The article proposes economic citizenship – making employees shareholders and participants in decision-making – as the only genuine solution. Next, it advocates as a model how the American movement for economic citizenship has progressed beyond the limited and elitist vision of its European counterpart by engaging with the terms of the ordinary workplace and of groups across political and class spectrums, thereby gaining mainstream support and providing a more comprehensive vision. Finally, the article concludes by discussing how the implentation of such a vision would yield various practical benefits and encourage social trust.