The Public Interest Programme focuses on how to understand the public interest dimensions of decision-making across economic and social policy, and the implications this has for relationships between the state, citizens, business, scientific experts and civil society.

The economic crisis, together with the ever-increasing importance of environmental sustainability, raise profound and much neglected questions concerning the balance between individual self-interest and wider conceptions of the public interest in public policy. 

At the heart of the programme is a desire to put the public back into discussions about the public interest. As such it brings together concerns about empowerment and active citizenship, declining trust in business, professional expertise and politicians with a focus on the why, where and how of the regulatory state in the post crisis era.

The failure of ‘light touch’ regulation in the city and its perceived relationship to the current economic crisis has led to growing calls for government to re-regulate both the banking sector and the wider economy in the public interest.  This raises questions about the narrow equation of economic competitiveness with the public interest in economy policy; suggesting that ownership and authority within as well as between firms may be a matter for democratic debate and public policy.

The idea that government exists to serve the public interest, the common good or ‘general welfare’ is fundamental to discussions of political legitimacy in thinkers as diverse as Aristotle, Cicero, Thomas Aquinas, Rousseau and Adam Smith. Anyone seeking to affect or block change, be they politicians, regulators, business leaders or civil society campaigners, claim the term. Yet there is little agreement on theoretical conception, let alone measurement.

Matters are complicated further as claims to represent the public interest are no longer the exclusive possession of elected representatives, scientific experts or the mainstream media.

Empowered by digital technology, citizens and social movements are constantly shifting the boundaries as what counts as an area of public concern and potential regulation. In a global, digitally networked era, the boundary between ‘public’ issues subject to democratic control and accountability, and ‘private’ issues that remain outside of such control is more fluid and dynamic than ever before.

The definition of the public interest, the framing of the possibilities for civil society’s engagement with regulation, the balance of priorities given to consumer and citizen concerns, and the relation between industry self-regulation and public responsibility are all issues that present considerable and ongoing challenges to politicians and regulators. This programme of work will investigate these and other challenges to develop new frameworks for understanding how public interests can be defined and defended.

At present the programme is seeking to develop projects that investigate the public interest dimensions of:

• Banking and financial services
• Corporate takeover and mergers
• Media content and ownership
• The pharmaceutical industry
• Intellectual property rights
• Planning and retail policy
 

For each area of work we aim to bring businesses, regulators, politicians, advocacy groups and lay citizens together to debate, negotiate and define the nature of the public interest and determine the most effective means of defending and maintaining it in the face of potentially competing economic or political priorities. We will do this through a range of methods including but not limited to multi-stakeholder roundtables, practitioner interviews and deliberative citizen forums bringing together a cross section of the public.

The programme is led by Dan Leighton, please get in touch for more information about specific projects or if you are interested in working with us.