Private Government

What is "Private Government: How Employers Rule Our Lives" by Elizabeth Anderson about?

• Core Argument: The book argues that most American workers are subject to "private government" in the workplace, meaning they are ruled by their employers in ways that are often arbitrary, unaccountable, and authoritarian.
• Historical Perspective: Anderson traces the evolution of free market ideology from its egalitarian roots to its current form, showing how the Industrial Revolution shifted the balance of power from self-employed individuals to large-scale employers.
• Workplace as Government: She redefines the workplace as a form of government, where employers have sweeping authority over employees, often extending into their private lives.
• Call for Rethinking: The book calls for a radical rethinking of how we understand freedom, equality, and authority in the context of employment.

Why should I read "Private Government" by Elizabeth Anderson?

• Unseen Power Structures: The book exposes the often-overlooked authoritarian power that employers wield over workers, challenging common assumptions about workplace freedom.
• Historical Insight: It provides a rich historical context, showing how ideas about markets, freedom, and equality have changed over time.
• Relevance to Modern Work: Anderson’s analysis is highly relevant to contemporary debates about labor rights, workplace democracy, and economic justice.
• Stimulates Critical Thinking: The book encourages readers to question dominant ideologies and consider alternative ways of organizing work and protecting worker dignity.

What are the key takeaways from "Private Government" by Elizabeth Anderson?

• Workplaces as Private Governments: Most workplaces function as private governments, with employers exercising significant, often unchecked, authority over employees.
• Ideological Blindness: Prevailing free market ideology masks the reality of workplace domination, focusing only on state power as a threat to liberty.
• Historical Shift: The promise of free markets as a path to equality was undermined by the Industrial Revolution, which concentrated economic power in the hands of employers.
• Need for Reform: Anderson advocates for greater worker protections, including enhanced exit rights, a workers’ bill of rights, and more robust mechanisms for worker voice and participation.

How does Elizabeth Anderson define "private government" in "Private Government"?

• Authority and Subordination: Private government exists wherever some have the authority to issue orders to others, backed by sanctions, in some domain of life, and those governed have little or no say in how that authority is exercised.
• Workplace Application: In the workplace, this means employers can dictate not only work tasks but also aspects of employees’ private lives, often without accountability or recourse.
• Contrast with Public Government: Unlike democratic governments, private governments are not accountable to those they govern; employees typically lack meaningful input or protection.
• Relative Privacy: The "privacy" of private government is defined relative to the governed (the workers), not just relative to the state.

What is the historical context behind the concept of "private government" in Anderson's book?

• Egalitarian Origins: Early free market advocates like the Levellers, Locke, and Adam Smith saw markets as a means to promote equality and personal independence.
• Industrial Revolution Impact: The rise of large-scale industry destroyed the ideal of universal self-employment, creating a gulf between employers and employees.
• Shift in Ideology: As self-employment became less attainable, free market ideology shifted to ignore the new realities of workplace domination.
• Legacy of Old Ideals: Modern discourse still relies on outdated assumptions, failing to recognize the authoritarian nature of most employment relationships.

How does "Private Government" by Elizabeth Anderson critique current free market ideology?

• Misplaced Focus on State: Anderson argues that current ideology wrongly identifies the state as the sole threat to individual liberty, ignoring employer power.
• Voluntariness Myth: The idea that labor contracts are purely voluntary and equal is challenged; in reality, workers often have little bargaining power or alternatives.
• Blindness to Domination: The book highlights how free market ideology fails to see the arbitrary and sweeping authority employers have over workers.
• Ideological Function: Anderson shows how dominant ideologies can mask problematic features of social life, making it harder to recognize and address workplace injustices.

What are the main forms of worker subordination described in "Private Government" by Elizabeth Anderson?

• Arbitrary Authority: Employers can issue orders and impose sanctions without notice, process, or appeal, often extending beyond the workplace.
• Lack of Voice: Most workers have little or no say in workplace governance, with decisions made unilaterally by management.
• Vulnerability to Abuse: Workers can be fired for reasons unrelated to job performance, including off-duty behavior, political views, or personal relationships.
• Limited Legal Protections: Outside of collective bargaining or specific legal exceptions, workers’ rights are minimal and often unenforced.

What solutions or reforms does Elizabeth Anderson propose in "Private Government"?

• Enhanced Exit Rights: Strengthening workers’ ability to leave jobs without undue penalty, including limiting noncompete clauses.
• Workers’ Bill of Rights: Establishing basic constitutional rights for employees, such as protection of speech, privacy, and freedom from discrimination.
• Greater Worker Voice: Supporting mechanisms for worker participation in governance, such as unions, works councils, or codetermination models.
• Rule of Law in the Workplace: Applying principles of due process and equal protection to workplace governance to limit arbitrary employer power.

How does "Private Government" address the argument that workers are free because they can quit their jobs?

• High Exit Costs: Anderson points out that quitting often comes with significant financial and personal costs, making it an unrealistic option for many.
• False Equivalence: She compares the argument to saying a dictator isn’t oppressive because people can emigrate—technically possible, but practically difficult.
• Structural Constraints: The lack of alternative employment or self-employment options limits real freedom of exit.
• Insufficient Safeguard: Freedom to quit does not compensate for the lack of voice or protection from arbitrary authority within the workplace.

How does "Private Government" by Elizabeth Anderson respond to critics who argue that workplace authority is necessary for efficiency?

• Necessity of Hierarchy: Anderson acknowledges that some hierarchy and managerial discretion are needed for efficient production in large organizations.
• Limits of Efficiency Argument: She argues that efficiency does not justify arbitrary or unaccountable authority, nor does it require the sweeping powers employers currently hold.
• Abuse Beyond Efficiency: Many employer practices (e.g., off-duty control, harassment) have no efficiency rationale and are simply abuses of power.
• Alternative Models: The book points to successful examples (like German codetermination) where worker voice and efficiency coexist.

What are the best quotes from "Private Government" by Elizabeth Anderson and what do they mean?

• “Most workers in the United States are governed by communist dictatorships in their work lives.” – Anderson uses this provocative analogy to highlight the authoritarian, centrally planned nature of most workplaces, challenging the myth that only the state can be oppressive.
• “Private government is government that has arbitrary, unaccountable power over those it governs.” – This defines the core concept, emphasizing the lack of accountability and participation for workers.
• “To deny employers’ authority over workers because of freedom of exit, says Anderson, ‘is like saying that Mussolini wasn’t a dictator, because Italians could emigrate.’” – This quote illustrates the inadequacy of exit rights as a safeguard against workplace domination.
• “It is high time that public discourse acknowledged this reality and the costs to workers’ freedom and dignity that private government imposes on them.” – Anderson calls for a shift in how society talks about and addresses workplace power.

What is the significance of the historical figures and movements (Levellers, Locke, Smith, Paine, Lincoln) discussed in "Private Government"?

• Levellers: Early English egalitarians who advocated for broad political and economic rights, including opposition to monopolies and support for free trade as a path to independence.
• John Locke: Supported property rights and contract freedom as means to personal independence, but within a broader egalitarian critique of arbitrary authority.
• Adam Smith: Saw free markets as a way to dismantle feudal hierarchies and promote a society of equals, not as a justification for employer domination.
• Thomas Paine: Championed self-employment and social insurance, envisioning a society where most people worked for themselves.
• Abraham Lincoln: Embodied the ideal of free labor and self-employment, but his vision was ultimately undermined by industrialization and the rise of wage labor.
• Significance: Anderson uses these figures to show that the original free market vision was deeply egalitarian and that current realities betray those ideals.