
Private Government
How Employers Rule Our Lives
Overview of Private Government
Elizabeth Anderson's "Private Government" reveals how modern workplaces function as authoritarian regimes. This provocative 2017 work sparked academic debates by challenging free-market narratives. What freedom do you actually have when your boss controls your bathroom breaks? A must-read for understanding workplace power dynamics.
Key Themes in Private Government
- workplace authoritarianism
- egalitarian market theory
- labor subordination
- private government
- industrial power dynamics
Quotes from Private Government
The point is that most people in the United States are governed by communist dictatorships in their work lives.
American workers are not only subject to arbitrary, unaccountable private government but also lack the exit option that is supposed to make private government legitimate.
The unfreedom of workers is a structural problem, arising from the way our economy is organized.
The problem isn’t just that bosses are mean; it’s that, from the standpoint of justice and political theory, they have too much arbitrary power over their employees.
The solution is to democratize workplaces, and to strengthen workers’ voice in how their firms are run.
Characters in Private Government
- Elizabeth AndersonAuthor and philosopher who critiques workplace power
- John LilburneLeveller leader who argued for human equality
- Thomas PaineRadical who advocated for social insurance
- Katherine ChidleyLeveller activist who petitioned for women's rights
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