Business, The State and Economic Policy: The Case of Italy

by Amyot; Grant

• ISBN13: 9780415047227
• ISBN10: 0415047226
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2003-11-26
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

Italy has one of the world's most complex and fascinating political systems.The controversial rise of Silvio Berlusconi and the state of contemprary Italy can be better understood with an examination of the recent past of this intriguing country. G. Grant Amyot brings his critical eye upon the Italian business world, setting it in the context of Italy's place in hte international economy. He then traces the close, but chequered, relationship between capital, the state, and the political parties up to the election of one of the major business magnates, Silvio Berlusconi, as Prime Minister. The book compares Italy with the US, germany, and Japan while exploring the influence of economic realities, organized interests, and political institutions on the formation of policy in Italy. This interesting, readable and important book gives the reader an insight into the sources and workings of power in a major advanced industrial state. It will be appreciated by students and researchers with an interestin European politics, political theory, and political economy. It will also be a good tool for policy-makers and professionals with an interest in Italian business, economics and politics.

Author Biography

Grant Amyot is Associate Professor of Political Studies at Queen's University, Kingston, Canada.

Table of Contents

List of tables	x
Note on currency values	xi
Introduction: Capital and the state	1	(5)
The growth and development of Italian capitalism	6	(20)
Wealth and power in contemporary Italian business	26	(36)
Italian capitalism in comparative perspective	62	(19)
Italian capital in the global economy	81	(14)
Business and the political system	95	(31)
Making Italian macroeconomic policy	126	(18)
The politics of budgets and public debt	144	(21)
The state and industrial relations	165	(17)
Conclusion: the limits of the state's autonomy	182	(7)
Notes	189	(18)
Index	207