What is bottom up economics? | BottomUpEconomy
This is the transition from concentrated wealth to worker ownership and community capital. In seeking to solve problems and build community wealth through the economy, they are also building regional and national networks of learning and exchange, of public discourse and policy, to strengthen and magnify their work.
Bottom-up economics is not about socialism but does enable capitalism. Socialism would mean nationalizing our industries and taking your businesses and property. Investing in what our people and businesses need to thrive enables capitalism to work for all of us!

What is the bottom-up economy?
Consider what do people need to thrive and what do businesses need to exist and succeed. To thrive, people need health care, education, infrastructure, research, safe communities, community development, and safety nets. Most businesses do not exist without healthy and educated employees, without infrastructure, without research, without safe communities, without community development, and without safety nets. The necessary conditions for people and businesses are these Basic Public Investments (BPI’s).
Bottom-up economics consists of three elements: Our Basic Public Investments, plus Valuing All Workers, plus a Fair System. This video focuses on the BPIs but overviews the importance of Valuing All Workers, and a Fair System.
These emerging, bottom up economies recognize the power of the market, but also its limits and problems. … “The economy” is made up of scores of smaller, regional economies, which in turn are built on the economic activities of households, neighborhoods and communities.
These emerging, bottom up economies recognize the power of the market, but also its limits and problems. … “The economy” is made up of scores of smaller, regional economies, which in turn are built on the economic activities of households, neighborhoods and communities.
There are many reasons why Anthony Flaccavento can’t stop talking and writing about the need to expand upon local “bottom up economy” success stories. The near collapse of Wall Street in 2008 precipitated a global economic recession that put millions of people out of work and forced local and state agencies into widespread cutbacks. The economic decline also demonstrated just how vulnerable most communities have become, particularly in Rural America. At the same time, mounting evidence of climate change surrounds us, from rapidly melting glaciers and Antarctic ice sheets, to prolonged droughts and other severe weather. And the problems aren’t just in the atmosphere: over the past 100 years, the amount of productive land available per capita has shrunk dramatically, from 14 acres per person worldwide to just over 3.5 acres.
Top-down and bottom-up are both strategies of information processing and knowledge ordering, used in a variety of fields including software, humanistic and scientific theories, and management and organization. In practice, they can be seen as a style of thinking, teaching, or leadership.
WHY IS UP-BOTTOM ECONOMY NOT WORKING?
Can we simply grow our way out of this, or do we need a new approach, a new vision of prosperity?
Many Americans equate democracy with the free market, believing that you cannot have political freedom without “free market” capitalism, and that any limits on the market, whether they are limits on consumers or on businesses and corporations, are an infringement on political liberty and democracy.