Corporatism and Political Theory

In recent years the concept of corporatism in liberal democracies has had enormous impact on the fields of political studies - but there is as yet no agreed definition of corporatism. Alan Cawson aims to provide this definition, and show how the concept relates to such central political concerns as power, theories of the state, dualism and democracy. The opening chapters present a summary and justification of the theory of corporatism in relation to its two apparent rivals, pluralism and Marxism. Reviewing the various recent approaches to corporatism, the book extends the theory from the national to the sectoral level, showing its importance in policy-making in industrial and welfare fields. It offers theoretical treatment of `meso-corporatism'. Arguing that contemporary western political systems include both pluralist and corporatist elements, the author offers a way out of the sterile route between corporists and pluralists, by a development of the `dual politics' thesis, in which economic and productive issues are resolved through corporative modes, and moral and consumption issues through pluralistic and competitive politics.