Recognising Non-Market Public Value: Participation, Legitimacy, and Rights-Based Fiscal Design

This discussion paper explores how societies can recognise and support non-monetised public value such as care work, ecological stewardship, and knowledge creation within a fiscal system grounded in the taxation of economic and exclusive rights and privileges. While rights-based taxation improves equity, efficiency, and resilience by targeting structural advantage, it does not inherently account for contributions that occur outside formal markets or wage-based systems. To address this gap, the paper proposes a recognition framework that affirms unpaid labour and civic participation as essential forms of public value. Mechanisms such as care credits, ecological service credits, and public participation registries are introduced as non-monetary instruments for acknowledging contributions that are vital to social and ecological wellbeing but often excluded from national accounts. These instruments do not require commodification and can operate alongside wage-based systems or be integrated into broader fiscal architectures, including but not limited to a mission-oriented Job Guarantee programme. This is version 1.0 of an independent discussion paper intended to inform policy, modelling, and civic design. Future updates may expand annexes or respond to peer feedback.