Stumbling at the Threshold: Democracy in the Irish Economy

A central feature of the Irish economy stems from its historical inability to develop a strong indigenous market sector. This article argues that workplace democracy is indispensable in creating a strong domestic enterprise base, privileging workers to do what native capital has been unable to. There are persuasive normative arguments for workplace democracy: Robert A. Dahl maintains that if democracy is justified in governing the state, then it must also be justified in governing economic enterprises.