Steven A. Shull - Economics and Politics of Industrial Policy: The United States and Western Europe

Economics and Politics of Industrial Policy

MONOGRAPHS IN COMPARATIVE PUBLIC POLICY

Werner J. Feld, General Editor

Industrial policy is a good example of the growing economic and political interdependency between Europe and the United States. The contributors to this volume, which compiles the proceedings of the seventh conference sponsored by the Institute for the Comparative Study of Public Policy, examine the ways in which national, and supranational in the case of the European Community, industrial policies are implemented. It is thought that diversity within the country is the primary reason why the United States does not have a comprehensive national policy. There is a consensus among the authors that the U.S. economy is less subject or amenable to central government planning than the economies of Europe. In Europe, there is more interest in coordinating industrial policy throughout the European Community, but here too the failure to adopt a comprehensive policy reveals the enormous diversity and parochialism that conflict with supranational goals. The contributors conclude that while a centrally planned and implemented industrial policy may be desirable, we do not have the means to achieve it. Acknowledging the major industrial and trade problems facing the United States and Western Europe, the authors feel that it is not clear whether these problems can be resolved by government intervention.

Steven A. Shull is professor of political science at the University of New Orleans. Jeffrey E. Cohen is associate professor of political science at the same institution.

Published in cooperation with the Institute for the Comparative Study of Public Policy, The University of New Orleans/The University of Innsbruck

The United States and Western Europe

edited by Steven A. Shull and Jeffrey E. Cohen

First published 1986 by Westview Press

Published 2018 by Routledge
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Copyright 1986 by the Institute for the Comparative Study of Public Policy

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Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Economics and politics of industrial policy.
(Monographs in comparative public policy)
Bibliography: p.
1. Industry and state--United States--Addresses,
essays, lectures. 2. Industry and state--Europe-
Addresses, essays, lectures. I. Shull, Steven A.
II. Cohen, Jeffrey E. III. Series.
HD3616.U47E34 1986 338.94 85-26478

ISBN 13: 978-0-367-00834-5 (hbk)

It is a distinct privilege that we present in this volume the proceedings of the seventh annual symposium organized jointly by the University of New Orleans and the University of Innsbruck on February 21-22, 1985, in New Orleans. "The Economics and Politics of Industrial Policy" is of crucial importance for the economic development of the advanced Western nations as they face each other and as they must cope with the gradual industrialization of the Third World. Since industrial and labor conditions differ from country to country, comparative analyses of these conditions, especially in the United States and Western Europe, are likely to offer insights and issues that may be useful in determining whether and how the initiation of specific policies can provide remedies for countering harmful economic trends in various nation-states and increase the quality of life of their people. This complex of issues was addressed by five scholars during the symposium; their presentations then became the topic for observations by mostly local and regional leaders who brought their practical experiences to bear on the questions of industrial policy.

The main chapters of this volume contain the scholarly presentations made during the symposium. They are authored by Dr. Robert Z. Lawrence of the Brookings Institution (keynote essay); Dr. Volkmar Lauber, University of Salzburg; Dr. B. Guy Peters, University of Pitts-burgh; Drs. Jeffrey E. Cohen, University of New Orleans, and Gregory G. Brunk, University of Oklahoma (co-authors); and Dr. Anton Pelinka, University of Innsbruck. The contributions of the panelists came from Ollie D. Brown, a corporation president; William T. Hackett, Assistant Secretary of Commerce, State of Louisiana; Carl Crowe, a labor union official; Joan C. Felts, real estate executive; Joel C. Myers, League of Women Voters local president; and Dr. Toussaint Hocevar, University of New Orleans professor of economics.

We would like to express our sincere appreciation for the high quality of all contributions and comments and thank the panel moderators for the managerial talents displayed.

Gordon H. Mueller, Dean
Metropolitan College
University of New Orleans

Werner J. Feld, Director
Institute for the Comparative
Study of Public Policy
University of New Orleans

The seventh biannual symposium organized by the University of New Orleans and the University of Innsbruck focused on a topic of interdisciplinary interest--industrial policy--analyzed by economists, political scientists, legal experts and others. The main speakers were chosen to bring together approaches typical for American and European scientists, and the academic results reflect the realities of both.

The publication of the symposium proceedings offers the broader academic community the opportunity to use the outcome of this international meeting and permits the use of this outcome by the business and political communities as well. The basic assumption is that every-body has to learn--Europeans and Americans, political scientists and economists--through academic research and social reality.

The University of New Orleans and the University of Innsbruck are linked not only by a formal friendship agreement, but also by a well established network of activities: exchange of students, faculty, and research. The interdisciplinary symposia and their publication are part of this. It is in the interest of both universities to promote new activities, e.g., a program for research planned and implemented by the two universities. The already established cooperation should be the challenge to develop even further levels of cooperation.

Anton Pelinka
Professor and Chairman of the
Department of Political Science,
University of Innsbruck;
Coordinator for Cooperation
Between the Universities of
New Orleans and Innsbruck