A **cooperative** (also known as **co-operative**, **co-op**, or
**coop**) is defined by the
[ICA](International_Co-operative_Alliance "wikilink") "an autonomous
association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic,
social, and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly-owned and
democratically-controlled enterprise"\[1\] and are a subject of great
interest to [libertarian socialists](Libertarian_Socialism "wikilink").
They are an excellent way to provide high paying jobs, low-cost housing
and low-cost consumer goods to people under a
[capitalist](Capitalism "wikilink") economy while also showing people
the viability of a socialist economy.

## Types of Cooperatives

### Worker Cooperative

A [worker cooperative](Worker_Cooperative "wikilink") is a business
which employs [self-management in the
workplace](Workers'_Self-Management "wikilink") to produce goods or
provide services. Workers own the business and are paid either equally
based on the workplaces profits and management of the business is either
done in [workers' assemblies](Democratic_Assembly "wikilink") or via
elected managers.

### Housing Cooperative

A [housing cooperative](Housing_Cooperative "wikilink") is a cooperative
that owns real estate and/or buildings, thus allowing tenants to manage
a large building without the existence of a
[landlord](landlord "wikilink") (thus reducing rents and increasing the
quality of housing).

### Consumer Cooperative

A [consumer cooperative](Consumer_Cooperative "wikilink") is a
cooperative that provides people with access to consumer goods and
services like electricity, water, clothing, food, tools and machinery.

### Financial Cooperative

A [financial cooperative](Financial_Cooperative "wikilink") is a
cooperative that provides insurance, low-interest loans, savings and
other financial services to people.

### Social Cooperative

### Cooperative Federations

## History

## Cooperatives by State/Country

## Research on Cooperatives

## Criticism

## References

<references />

1.  "Statement on the Cooperative Identity" at the [International
    Co-operative
    Alliance](International_Co-operative_Alliance "wikilink") -
    <https://www.ica.coop/en/cooperatives/cooperative-identity>