Privatization of Government Services

League of Women Voters^®
of San Jose/Santa Clara

Study Group on Privatization of Government Serices

In November 2011 The League of Women Voters engaged in a study of the privatization of Government services. The purpose of this study was to identify parameters and policy issues to be considered in connection with proposals to transfer federal, state or local government services, assets and/or functions to the private sector. This study is reviewing privatization goals and the community impact of such transfers, and identified strategies to ensure transparency, accountability, and preservation of the common good.
The San Jose/Santa Clara league is joining in this national study of the privatization of government services, assets and functions and the impact that privatization will create on our local community We will be scheduling meetings to educate members and our community about this issue and come to consensus on our findings in May 2012.
The LWVUS study committee will provide a history and background of privatization, a glossary of terms, legal issues to be considered when privatizing at different levels of government, current state regulations on privatizing and case studies on successful and unsuccessful privatizing efforts. Finally, the committee will provide suggested policies and parameters to be considered when privatizing. The Consensus Questions and articles prepared by the study committee are available at http://www.lwv.org/member-resources/privatization.
We encourage the public to participate in this study by contacting privatization@lwvsjsc.org for more information.
LWVUS recommends the following readings as background:
1. Government Privatization: History, Examples, and Issues
2. Paul Starr, The Meaning of Privatization, Yale Law and Policy Review 6 (1988): 6-41.
3. Privatization: A Seattle League Study

Privatization Consensus Meeting

The consensus meeting of LWV-SJ/SC on the national study of privatization will be held on Saturday, April 14th, from 9:30-12:00 at the home of Rod and Alice Thorn. We hope many of you will come to learn about this fascinating topic and then take part in formulating our answer to the consensus questions posed by LWVUS.
Privatization, the transfer of federal, state or local government services, assets and/or functions to the private sector, is a growing trend in the United States and well-entrenched elsewhere. The study committee will present an overview of the subject, covering the following areas.
Overview of the purpose, definitions and examples of privatization
History and background of privatization
Examples at the national level
Examples from LWVUS
Broad principles of our local governments on privatization
Example of a specific local privatization Core governmental services which might not be privatized
Best Practices in privatization
Following this overview, Brenda McHenry, Facilitator, will guide us through the consensus questions with clarifications supplied by study committee members as necessary. A copy of the consensus questions will be available at the meeting, but you might want to review them ahead of time by going to the LWVUS site. If that piques your curiosity for further reading, go to the Privatization page.
Your Study Committee is looking forward to seeing you on the 14th!

Comments, suggestions, questions? Contact our webmaster. Last revised: May 5, 2012 16:16 PDT.