Limiting Resources

Limiting Resources, volume 1, examines the complex evolution of public goods provision and the global shift toward privatization. LaDawn Haglund investigates how the transition from government responsibility to market-led development has impacted essential services like electricity, water, sanitation, and education. This political science and public policy text critiques the narrow economic definitions of public goods that have often failed to improve service delivery in developing countries. Instead, the author explores how these market mechanisms can undermine democratic institutions and suppress social rights.

Drawing on history and economic policy, the book utilizes case studies from Central America to analyze the successes and failures of water and energy provision. This work in the field of Latin America studies offers an expanded conception of public goods that prioritizes justice, inclusion, and sustainability. By analyzing political conflicts over privatization, Limiting Resources, volume 1, provides a framework for promoting economic and social rights through effective state action and reformulated policy approaches.