So I’ve been thinking a lot about how broken and inflexible our current economic system feels—especially when it comes to handling public goods like healthcare, transit, education, etc. What if instead of one-size-fits-all capitalism or one centralized socialist system, we had both—and could choose between them?
I’m working on a framework called HDEM-PC (Hybrid Dual Economy Model – Pulse Cycle), and it’s basically a way to split the economy into two coexisting parts:
Private Goods Economy – traditional market-driven stuff (phones, cars, restaurants, etc.)
Public Goods Economy – community-driven and publicly funded services (healthcare, infrastructure, parks, etc.)
Here’s the twist: Instead of the government deciding everything top-down, people can voluntarily fund the public economy. Think of it like Kickstarter for public goods. If enough people fund it, it gets built. If not, it doesn’t—unless it's essential, in which case the government steps in with taxes only when necessary.
What happens during downturns?
This is where the “Pulse Cycle” comes in. The model tracks economic conditions and shifts responsibilities dynamically:
In a recession, more goods and services temporarily shift into the public economy—like food, housing, even transportation—so they stay accessible when wallets are tight.
Government intervention becomes more active when essential services face funding shortfalls.
The system encourages collective cushioning—costs are spread wider, so no one gets crushed when the private market contracts.
As the economy recovers, the model shifts back—more goods re-enter the private space, and voluntary funding returns to normal.
What makes it cool:
You can opt in by contributing to the public economy based on what you care about.
There's built-in voting at the local, state, and federal levels to decide what gets funded.
It’s responsive to real-world conditions, instead of fixed ideology.
Banks and citizens can also invest in public goods for returns, not just donate.
I designed it for the U.S., but it could work in parts of Europe too, especially where public-private partnerships already exist.
Still refining some of the voting/adaptation mechanics—especially how they behave in prolonged recessions or booms—but I’d love feedback. Would love to hear your thoughts: Could this actually work? What would break?