Government outsourcing of public powers is diminishing our freedom. Many essential functions, such as managing prisons, welfare, warfare, and financial regulation, are increasingly handed over to private entities. Education and healthcare are also partially funded through private philanthropy instead of taxation. This raises the question: can a privatized government rule legitimately? The argument presented here is that it cannot. The author contends that privatization represents a regression to a precivil state, echoing the concerns of Enlightenment philosophers. She illustrates how privatization perpetuates issues like provisional justice, undue dependence, and unfreedom—problems that only well-structured political institutions can resolve. Advocating for constitutional limits on privatization, she calls for a more democratic public administration and outlines the responsibilities of private actors in a privatized governance landscape. The text offers a fresh perspective on political representation and innovative theories of democratic authority and legitimate lawmaking. It ultimately argues that privatization erodes the foundational purpose of political institutions and proposes a more democratic and just approach to public affairs.
