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Anarchist Accounting: Accounting Principles for a Democratic Economy
This book is about accounting in an alternative libertarian socialist economic system. It explores what information and transactions we need to enable democratic and effective financial decisions by those affected by the decisions. Based on the economic model, participatory economics, the author proposes a set of accounting principles for an economy comprised of common ownership of productive resources, worker and consumer councils, and democratic planning, promoting the model’s core values.

The author tackles questions such as how accounting could be organised in an economy with no private equity owners or private lenders and creditors that is not based on greed and competition but instead on cooperation and solidarity. A large part of the book is focused on issues regarding investments; thus, he asks how and on what basis decisions are made about the allocation of an economy’s production between consumption today and investments that enable more consumption in the future, and how investments are accounted for. He also considers how investments in capital assets and production facilities would be decided, financed, and valued if they are not owned by private capital owners and if allocation does not take place through markets but through a form of democratic planning. In answering these questions and more, the author demonstrates that alternative economic systems are indeed possible, and not merely lofty utopias that cannot be put into practice, and inspires further discussion about economic vision.

By applying accounting to a new economic setting and offering both technical information and the author’s bold vision, this book is a comprehensive and valuable supplementary text for courses touching on critical accounting theory. It will also appeal to readers interested in alternative kinds of economies.

1137251094
Anarchist Accounting: Accounting Principles for a Democratic Economy
This book is about accounting in an alternative libertarian socialist economic system. It explores what information and transactions we need to enable democratic and effective financial decisions by those affected by the decisions. Based on the economic model, participatory economics, the author proposes a set of accounting principles for an economy comprised of common ownership of productive resources, worker and consumer councils, and democratic planning, promoting the model’s core values.

The author tackles questions such as how accounting could be organised in an economy with no private equity owners or private lenders and creditors that is not based on greed and competition but instead on cooperation and solidarity. A large part of the book is focused on issues regarding investments; thus, he asks how and on what basis decisions are made about the allocation of an economy’s production between consumption today and investments that enable more consumption in the future, and how investments are accounted for. He also considers how investments in capital assets and production facilities would be decided, financed, and valued if they are not owned by private capital owners and if allocation does not take place through markets but through a form of democratic planning. In answering these questions and more, the author demonstrates that alternative economic systems are indeed possible, and not merely lofty utopias that cannot be put into practice, and inspires further discussion about economic vision.

By applying accounting to a new economic setting and offering both technical information and the author’s bold vision, this book is a comprehensive and valuable supplementary text for courses touching on critical accounting theory. It will also appeal to readers interested in alternative kinds of economies.

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Anarchist Accounting: Accounting Principles for a Democratic Economy

Anarchist Accounting: Accounting Principles for a Democratic Economy

by Anders Sandström
Anarchist Accounting: Accounting Principles for a Democratic Economy
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Anarchist Accounting: Accounting Principles for a Democratic Economy

Anarchist Accounting: Accounting Principles for a Democratic Economy

by Anders Sandström

Overview

This book is about accounting in an alternative libertarian socialist economic system. It explores what information and transactions we need to enable democratic and effective financial decisions by those affected by the decisions. Based on the economic model, participatory economics, the author proposes a set of accounting principles for an economy comprised of common ownership of productive resources, worker and consumer councils, and democratic planning, promoting the model’s core values.

The author tackles questions such as how accounting could be organised in an economy with no private equity owners or private lenders and creditors that is not based on greed and competition but instead on cooperation and solidarity. A large part of the book is focused on issues regarding investments; thus, he asks how and on what basis decisions are made about the allocation of an economy’s production between consumption today and investments that enable more consumption in the future, and how investments are accounted for. He also considers how investments in capital assets and production facilities would be decided, financed, and valued if they are not owned by private capital owners and if allocation does not take place through markets but through a form of democratic planning. In answering these questions and more, the author demonstrates that alternative economic systems are indeed possible, and not merely lofty utopias that cannot be put into practice, and inspires further discussion about economic vision.

By applying accounting to a new economic setting and offering both technical information and the author’s bold vision, this book is a comprehensive and valuable supplementary text for courses touching on critical accounting theory. It will also appeal to readers interested in alternative kinds of economies.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780367477035
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Publication date: 11/30/2020
Pages: 140
Product dimensions: 6.12(w) x 9.19(h) x (d)

About the Author

Anders Sandström is a trained accountant with a degree from Uppsala University. He lives in Stockholm, Sweden, where he works as the treasurer at Sveriges Arbetares Arbetslöshetskassa (SAAK), an unemployment office historically connected to the Swedish syndicalist trade union, Sveriges Arbetares Centralorganisation (SAC). Before his sabbatical and political turnaround in 2000, Anders worked as an audit junior at the international audit firm KPMG and later as Head of Accounting and Group Financial Controller in different companies. In 2010 Anders co-founded Parecon Sverige, an advocacy group for participatory economy, which is an economic system developed as a viable alternative to capitalism.

Table of Contents

List of exhibits vii

About the author ix

Acknowledgements xi

Introduction 1

Anarchist economics 2

Anarchist accounting 4

History of accounting 5

Outline of the book 7

1 A participatory economy 11

Goals 11

Institutions 12

The case against markets 15

Annual participatory planning 19

Actors 25

2 Accounting in a participatory economy 31

Accounting entities, prices, and transactions 32

Money and prices 32

3 Consumers and consumption 35

Income 35

Consumption planning 41

Consumer accounts and their internal relations 42

The categorisation of goods and services for consumption 46

Second-hand goods 48

Public service systems and collective consumption 51

Consumer R&D 54

Housing 54

4 Worker councils and production 57

Accounting of financial transactions 57

Shared support units 64

The categorisation and allocation of labour 65

The categorisation of goods and services in production 66

Rejected goods and services 73

Fulfilling production plans 73

5 Investment and long-term development 77

Industry federations 78

Long-term development planning 81

Investment planning: consume or save? 85

The accounting of capital assets 90

User rights fees 97

6 The Society Account 105

Society's income 106

Social return on implemented investments 106

Consumption and investment 107

Price differences and trade balances in international trade 107

Trade balances with external economies 108

Conclusion 111

Appendix 1 Accounting primer 117

Appendix 2 Investment in a capitalist market economy 121

Index 125

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