Editor's noteContracting issues at the intersection of the public and private sectors: New data and new insights

The intermittent patterns of nationalizations and privatizations suggest that the debate regarding the role of the government in the economy is far from resolved. This study summarizes some of the major trends in privatization and nationalization during the past 20 years. We then describe how the papers in this special issue test new hypotheses and provide additional insights regarding determinants of these changes in shareholder structure. The papers in this special issue specifically consider factors (such as changes in the institutional environment or changes brought on by the financial crisis) which may have contributed to the recent re-balancing of public and private ownership. By focusing on contracting issues at the intersection of the public and private sectors, the papers in this special issue deepen our understanding of the important and ever-evolving relation between business and government.