Must-Read: Mariana Mazzucato: Jeremy Corbyn’s Necessary Agenda

Mariana Mazzucato: Jeremy Corbyn’s Necessary Agenda: “We must drop the false dichotomy of governments versus markets…

…and begin to think more clearly about the market outcomes we want. There is plenty to learn from public investments that were mission-oriented, instead of focused on ‘facilitating’ or ‘incentivizing’ business. Policy should actively shape and create markets, not just fix them when they go wrong. Indeed, policies traditionally considered ‘business friendly,’ such as tax credits and lower tax rates, can be bad for business in the long run if they limit governments’ future ability to invest in areas that increase innovation-led growth…. Moreover, we need more patient, long-term finance. Most existing finance is too speculative and too focused on short-term outcomes. Exit-driven venture capital might be appropriate for gadgets; but technological revolutions have historically required patient, committed public financing…. When the public sector takes key risks along the innovation chain… we should think more creatively about the kinds of contracts that enable the public to share not only the risks, but also some of the rewards. We must also shape a new narrative on debt. Rather than focus on budget deficits, we should concentrate on the denominator of debt-to-GDP ratios…