In the Public Interest
Democracy, shared prosperity, and the common good
In the Public Interest is a comprehensive research and policy center on privatization and responsible contracting.
In the Public Interest
Democracy, shared prosperity, and the common good
In the Public Interest is a comprehensive research and policy center on privatization and responsible contracting.
How to spot privatization schemes in the middle of a crisis
Two checklists for monitoring threats of privatization of public goods and services in the age of coronavirus.
April 2020
Guide: Best Practices in Municipal Waste Contracting
Best practices for municipalities aiming to protect their interests when contracting with private companies that provide waste management services.
November 2016
The deal that could hurt D.C. for 50 years
Privatizing public transit parking in the DC area for the next 50 years would be foolish for a number of reasons.
September 2016
How Wall Street is Profiting off of the Crisis It Created
As public budgets have tightened, investors operating with little transparency or oversight have increasingly taken over many public services Americans rely on every day.
June 2016
Privatizing Chicago
It didn't start with the parking meters. It didn't even start on Mayor Rahm Emmanuel's watch. But the privatization of public services and assets in the city of Chicago is reaching a fevered pitch and more people than ever [...]
January 2015
Exciting New Resource on Outsourcing
Today, the Center for Media and Democracy (CMD), publishers of the award-winning ALECexposed.org, launched OutsourcingAmericaExposed.org, a web resource devoted to helping taxpayers identify the corporations seeking to [...]
September 2013
Caution: Red Light Cameras Ahead- The Risks of Privatizing Traffic Law Enforcement and How to [...]
This report describes the quality, cost, corruption, and access issues 28 states experienced when they contracted out the monitoring and control of traffic violations to private companies. [...]
October 2011
The Great Ohio Sell-Off
The new state budget calls for a massive sell-off of Ohio public assets worth billions of dollars. Among the properties that may be privatized are the Ohio Turnpike, six prisons and the liquor distribution business. The [...]
August 2011
Backgrounder: Municipal Services
This backgrounder brief explores problems related to the privatization of municipal services, and provides examples of experiences from cities around the country that have considered or have privatized critical services. [...]
June 2011
Keeping Public Libraries Public: A Checklist for Communities Considering Privatization of Public Libraries
This report is designed to help librarians, trustees, and other library supporters address the issue of privatization and prepare for any discussions about privatization that might arise in their communities. [...]
June 2011