Abstract

The digitally-enabled economy is unleashing a new wave of change, something we are only just beginning to feel and understand. The economic evidence shows that this innovation—the development and adoption of new products, services, processes and business models—is vital to support rising living standards. But making the political case for the progressive power of innovation, and the digital economy, can be more challenging. The forces of “creative destruction” threaten incumbent firms, jobs, and the way people work and live, creating strong incentives to oppose change.

Confronting these hard realities is one of the defining challenges for progressive politics in the twenty-first century. This collection of essays aims to explore how progressives can embrace the power and promise of innovation through ICT and the digital economy, while developing new institutions to enable societies to cope with the new challenges and risks that this heralds.

Robert D. Atkinson is the founder and president of the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF), a Washington, DC-based policy thinktank.
Michael McTernan is acting director of Policy Network, a London-based international thinktank and network.
Alastair Reed is a researcher at Policy Network, a London-based international thinktank and network.