In a recent pamphlet for the Fabian Society, Colin Crouch criticises the use of commercial techniques such as choice within public services. He does this because he says that commercialisation undermines citizenship. In this article, I question Crouch's claim by arguing that careful use of some commercial methods, in particular choice, might actually promote the sort of participative citizenship that he endorses. This discussion has a bearing on an important set of contemporary policy debates.
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