Slide 3 of 26

Sectors of the USA Economy

Our goal at NCBA is to make cooperative enterprise a strong, distinct, and unified sector of our economy that is recognized by the U.S. public. Today, in the US, most people believe that we have only three sectors of the economy: the for-profit sector dominated by investor-owned businesses; the government sector including local, state, and federal governments; and the non-profit sector that encompasses organizations like the Red Cross, universities, and religious institutions. At NCBA, we see a fourth sector of the U. S. economy that is based on a foundation of cooperative principles and values. The cooperative sector is built on businesses that serve the economic and social well being of a wide variety of people. To accomplish our goal of a strong fourth sector of the economy, US cooperatives must be strong businesses that focus on providing new services to our members and we must develop new cooperative businesses.

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