Research Catalog

Title

Democracy and regulation : how the public can govern essential services / Greg Palast, Jerrold Oppenheim and Theo MacGregor.

Author

Palast, Greg

Publication

London ; Sterling, Va. : Pluto Press, 2003.

Items in the Library & Off-site

Holdings

Details

Additional Authors

• Oppenheim, Jerrold.
• MacGregor, Theo.

Description

xx, 233 p. ill.; 24 cm.

Summary

Step-by-step guide to the way that public utilities are regulated in the United States. It explains the way that public services are regulated in the United States. it explains how decisions are made by public debate in a public forum. Profits and investments of private companies are capped, and companies are forced to reduce prices for the poor, fund environmental investments and open themselves to financial inspection. [back cover].

Subject

• Public utilities > Deregulation > United States
• Public utilities > United States > State supervision
• Public utilities > Rates > United States
• Privatization > United States
• Democracy > United States

Bibliography (note)

• Includes bibliographical references (p. 198-223) and index.

Processing Action (note)

• committed to retain

Contents

Foreword / Hon. Carl Wood -- Democracy and Regulation: An Introduction -- Secrecy, Democracy and Regulation -- Regulating in Public -- Open information versus secrecy -- Who is "the public"? -- "Consultation" is not participation -- Employees, service quality and democracy -- Failings of the American system -- Competition as Substitute for Regulation? Britain to California -- Crisis in California: electricity competition comes to America -- Manipulation and monopoly abuse are impossible to prevent -- Utility services are different -- "Deregulation" creates new rules and bureaucracies -- The problem of volatility and new inefficiencies -- The union worker, service quality and deregulation -- Price discrimination -- Democratic control of deregulation -- Re-regulation is not Deregulation -- Recent history -- Restructuring the industry -- Market power -- Market segmentation -- "Competition" for domestic customers -- Telephones: the new marketplace is raising prices -- The Open Regulatory Process -- The process -- The regulators -- Social Pricing -- Affordability programs -- Consumer protections -- Education programs -- Efficiency and weatherization programs -- Benefits -- Issues that are Publicly Decided -- Service quality, safety, prices and employment -- Choice of utility ownership form -- Universal service, including extension of service -- Other regulatory agencies -- Choice of technology -- An Alternative: Democratic Negotiations -- The filing -- Intervention -- Mediation -- Discovery -- An energy conservation case.

ISBN

• 0745319432 (hbk)
• 0745319424 (pbk)

LCCN

^^2002015669

OCLC

50694765

Owning Institutions

Harvard Library