ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The United States (US) economy is faced with a set of economic problems that appear to be unsolvable by corporate capitalist development. Democratic capitalist countries have evolved into more equitable societies than non-democratic capitalist countries. Democratic, worker-controlled production would extend democratic choice to work, employment, income, and technology. Investment decisions in the US are made almost entirely by private companies. A strategy of reform must transfer capital from the corporations to the public, so that the people who work and consume can collectively and democratically decide what to do with it. The logical vehicle for that process should be the governmentour democratically elected legislature and executive. Even though economic democracy is not one of the virtues of American society, political democracy is, at least for the present. But other, non-electoral work is also important for limiting corporate options.
