Mission Economy injects the kind of vision, ambition and imagination so desperately missing from government today. The case for a new approach is overwhelming and Mariana Mazzucato's project is ambitious. Rethinking the role of government nationally and in the international economy - to put public purpose first and solve the problems that matter to people - are now the central questions for humanity Jayati Ghosh, Nature

Mazzucato presents her arguments so simply and clearly that they can seem obvious.

arresting EconomistĪ timely and optimistic vision. Mazzucato is an Italian-born economist of a heterodox bent, whose work has long challenged standard economic thinking about the role of markets and government in generating innovation. By setting grand missions for themselves, she writes, and deploying the power of the state in practical ways, they can become more prosperous and equitable. In Mission Economy Mariana Mazzucato argues that societies ought to abjure tired ideologies and embrace the policy approach that put astronauts on the Moon. Britain and America, she believes, need to abandon the neoliberal belief in minimalist government that merely regulates the market and lets the private sector drive innovation. Civil servants should be active, not passive. Mazzucato's solution is to redesign capitalism in the interests of stakeholders rather than shareholders, and to reshape the relationship between government and the state as a 'mission economy'. Mariana Mazzucato offers an answer: if only governments would apply the mission-driven methods of the Apollo project, they could. Ever since 1969, people have asked themselves why if humans can land on the moon, can't they solve pressing problems here on Earth, such as poverty, dementia and climate change.

Mission economy book