The Transactional State
In open democracies, the State ultimately demarks the ever-shifting line between the ‘public’ and ‘private’ due to its evolving transactional habits. This open project aims to research the State as an institution for good.
Transactions such as selling and buying property, contracting market parties or by engaging in more structural public-private cooperation. The state has a choice to either perform public tasks itself or letting the market do its work.
All this leads to the fundamental question how can we best position the State as an institution that positively - instead of negatively - influences the ‘good’ in society through these transactions. The State’s transactions with society are researched in an academic interdisciplinary manner in conjunction with real world practical viewpoints.
The platform brings together research, educational and societal activities that focus on why, when, and how the State acts in light of a multidimensional concept of ‘just’, thereby integrating social and sustainable perspectives, and how to future-proof its role to achieve a resilient and open society that upholds the rule of law.
As an open project, it brings together a wide range of researchers from different disciplines. All UU scholars interested in this project are very welcome to join this platform. We also welcome collaboration from abroad, other universities and societal actors. Researchers are encouraged to propose research projects, grant applications, develop educational or impact activities, falling within the scope of the platform.
Newsletter
Four times a year we share the latest news, newest insights and relevant events related to public procurement through our newsletter. The newsletter contains an overview of research findings, teaching, and societal activities carried out by the Centre and the Platform in the field of procurement and purchasing. Our newsletter is a collaboration between Utrecht University Centre for Public Procurement (UUCePP) and IOS Platform 'The Transactional State as an Institution for Good'.
