Mazzucato, Mariana. Mission Economy : A Moonshot Guide to Changing Capitalism. London: Penguin Books, 2022. Print.

1. Necessity of Transformative Change in Political Economy: The Covid-19 crisis revealed that governments could mobilize resources significantly when needed, challenging previous austerity measures. This situation underlines the need for a visionary transformation of the political economy, akin to the ambition of the 1960s moon mission.
2. The Inspirational Success of the Apollo Mission: The Apollo program, described by President Kennedy as “the most hazardous and dangerous and greatest adventure on which man has ever embarked,” involved an investment of about $28 billion (approximately $283 billion in 2020 terms) and over 400,000 people. This mission led to numerous technological innovations and spurred developments in various fields, such as software, insulation materials, and management methods.
3. Government’s Role in Visionary Change and Risk-Taking: Contrary to the belief that governments should have minimal intervention, the text highlights their crucial role in visionary initiatives. The U.S. government’s investments in Tesla and Solyndra demonstrate the problem – everyone remembers the failure of Solyndra but forget that Tesla received large government loans prior to its success.
4. Challenges of Financialization and Inequality: The financial sector, particularly in the UK, is critiqued for largely financing real estate and financial assets, contributing to financialization and widening inequality. This trend emphasizes the need for a reorientation towards financing initiatives that serve societal needs and contribute to the public good.
5. Environmental Missions as a Priority: The text underscores the importance of environmental missions, referencing the United Nations’ sustainable development goals and initiatives like the Green New Deal in the U.S. and the European Green Deal. These goals focus on critical issues like making oceans plastic-free, combating climate change, and achieving carbon neutrality.
6. Reevaluating Public Value and Government Intervention: The need to rethink the role of government in market shaping, rather than just market fixing, is emphasized. This involves reconsidering how public value is defined and moving away from the notion of government inefficiency. Examples include the German national bank’s support for green projects and the idea that governments can create money for public infrastructure, benefiting society and the economy.
7. Shift Towards Fair and Collective Political Economy: The narrative calls for a transition to a political economy that focuses on fairness and collective effort. This includes addressing predistribution to prevent inequality and reorienting businesses towards stakeholder value rather than just shareholder value.
8. Reviving Mission-Oriented Thinking: Drawing inspiration from the Apollo mission, the text advocates for a revival of mission-oriented thinking in tackling today’s challenges. This approach involves setting clear, ambitious goals and fostering collaboration across sectors and disciplines.
9. Engaging Public Participation in Missions: For missions that directly affect people, such as creating a green city, the importance of ongoing public participation is highlighted. This participatory approach ensures that missions are shaped by the needs and voices of those they impact.
10. Harnessing Collective Purpose for Global Challenges: The text concludes with a call to harness a sense of common purpose, reminiscent of the collective effort in the Apollo mission, to address global challenges like climate change, racial inequality, and the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic.