Participatory Economics (Parecon) Self-Assessment
(Based on the vision of Michael Albert & Robin Hahnel)
This self-assessment evaluates your alignment with the principles and ethos of participatory economics. It contains 10 core values/dimensions, each rated on a 1–5 scale, followed by a score interpretation.
- Commitment to Self-Management
“To what extent do you believe people should have a say in decisions in proportion to how much they’re affected?”
1 — Decisions should be top-down
2 — Minimal support for participation
3 — Some support for democratic input
4 — Strong support for proportional voice
5 — Fully committed to self-management as a decision-making principle
- Equity in Remuneration
“How important is it to reward people based on effort and sacrifice rather than output, power, or property?”
1 — Support income based on market or ownership
2 — Favor performance-based pay
3 — Mixed views on equity
4 — Support fair compensation for effort
5 — Deeply committed to equitable remuneration for effort/sacrifice
- Opposition to Hierarchical Class Structures
“To what extent do you oppose managerial, capitalist, and coordinator classes having power over others?”
1 — I support hierarchical leadership
2 — Rarely question elite control
3 — Some discomfort with hierarchies
4 — Oppose undemocratic class divisions
5 — Fully committed to eliminating class hierarchy
- Support for Balanced Job Complexes
“How important is it that empowering and disempowering work be equally shared?”
1 — Let specialists do skilled work
2 — Some support for task sharing
3 — Occasional concern with job balance
4 — Support rebalancing jobs
5 — Fully committed to balancing tasks to avoid new elites
- Participatory Planning vs Markets
“Do you support democratic, cooperative planning over market competition or top-down central planning?”
1 — Markets or central planning are best
2 — Mostly support regulated markets
3 — Some interest in alternatives
4 — Prefer participatory coordination
5 — Fully support participatory, decentralized planning
- Solidarity
“To what extent do you view economic behavior as a space for cooperation and mutual benefit?”
1 — Competition drives innovation
2 — Limited role for solidarity
3 — Sometimes value mutual aid
4 — Frequently seek cooperative outcomes
5 — Deeply committed to solidarity as an economic ethic
- Efficiency with Human Priorities
“How much do you value efficiency when it aligns with human well-being over profit or speed?”
1 — Efficiency = profit
2 — Prefer fast/simple results
3 — Neutral on efficiency trade-offs
4 — Favor people-centered efficiency
5 — Deeply value humane, sustainable efficiency
- Opposition to Private Ownership of Productive Assets
“Do you support collective or social ownership of workplaces and natural resources?”
1 — Support private property fully
2 — Support some collective ownership
3 — Mixed ownership model
4 — Prefer democratic ownership
5 — Committed to social ownership of means of production
- Economic Inclusiveness
“To what extent do you believe that all people, regardless of ability or status, should participate equally in economic life?”
1 — Let merit decide
2 — Support basic inclusion
3 — Acknowledge barriers
4 — Promote inclusive practices
5 — Fully support inclusive, participatory design for all
- Desire for Institutional Innovation
“How willing are you to challenge existing economic models and experiment with new systems like Parecon?”
1 — Prefer status quo
2 — Cautiously reformist
3 — Curious but skeptical
4 — Open to transformative design
5 — Actively seek new economic institutions and models
Score Interpretation
Total Possible: 10–50
10–20→ Conventional Economic Thinking
You may hold traditional views grounded in market capitalism or corporate liberalism. Parecon ideas likely feel unfamiliar or radical.
21–30→ Reform-Oriented Thinker
You support justice and equality, but may prefer market-based reforms or welfare state models over structural transformation.
31–40→ Participatory Economics Aligned
You share many core values with Parecon and support workplace democracy, equity, and cooperative planning.
41–50→ Transformational Post-Capitalist
You are deeply committed to building and experimenting with radically democratic and participatory economic systems.
Shannon Thomas putting Scholar GPT to work.
