Many societies use labor market coordination to maximize economic growth and equality, yet employers' willing cooperation with government and labor is something of a mystery. The Political Construction of Business Interests recounts employers' struggles to define their collective social identities at turning points in capitalist development. Employers are most likely to support social investments in countries with strong peak business associations, that help members form collective preferences and realize policy goals in labor market negotiations. Politicians, with incentives shaped by governmental structures, took the initiative in association-building and those that created the strongest associations were motivated to evade labor radicalism and to preempt parliamentary democratization. Sweeping in its historical and cross-national reach, the book builds on original archival data, interviews and cross-national quantitative analyses. The research has important implications for the construction of business as a social class and powerful ramifications for equality, welfare state restructuring and social solidarity.

Many societies use labor market coordination to maximize economic growth and equality, yet employers' willing cooperation with government and labor is something of a mystery. The Political Construction of Business Interests recounts employers' struggles to define their collective social identities at turning points in capitalist development. Employers are most likely to support social investments in countries with strong peak business associations, that help members form collective preferences and realize policy goals in labor market negotiations. Politicians, with incentives shaped by governmental structures, took the initiative in association-building and those that created the strongest associations were motivated to evade labor radicalism and to preempt parliamentary democratization. Sweeping in its historical and cross-national reach, the book builds on original archival data, interviews and cross-national quantitative analyses. The research has important implications for the construction of business as a social class and powerful ramifications for equality, welfare state restructuring and social solidarity.

According to conventional wisdom, big business wields enormous influence over America's political agenda and is responsible for the relatively limited scale of the country's social policies. In "Stuck in Neutral," however, Cathie Jo Martin challenges that view, arguing that big business has limited involvement in social policy and in many instances desires broader social interventions.

Combining hundreds of in-depth interviews with careful quantitative analysis, Martin shows that there is strong support among managers for government-sponsored training, health, work, and family initiatives to enhance workers' skills and productivity. This support does not translate into political action, surprisingly, because big firms are not organized to intervene effectively. Every large company has its own staff to deal with government affairs, but overarching organizations for the most part lobby ineffectively for the collective interests of big business in the social realm. By contrast, small firms, which cannot afford to lobby the government directly, rely on representative associations to speak for them. The unified voice of small business comes through much more clearly in policy circles than the diverse messages presented by individual corporations, ensuring that the small-business agenda of limited social policy prevails.

A vivid portrayal of the interplay between business and politics, "Stuck in Neutral" offers a fresh take on some of the most controversial issues of our day. It is a must read for anyone interested in the past, present, and future of the American welfare state and political economy.

"Polarization. Partisanship. Rancor. Character assassinations. Government shutdowns. Why can't our elected officials just get along and do their jobs? The United States was once seen as a land of broad consensus and pragmatic politics. Sharp ideological differences were largely absent. But today politics in America is dominated by intense party polarization and limited agreement among legislative representatives on policy problems and solutions. Americans pride themselves on their community spirit, civic engagement, and dynamic society. Yet, as the editors of this volume argue, we are handicapped by our national political institutions, which often-but not always-stifle the popular desire for policy innovation and political reforms. Negotiating Agreement in Politics explores both the domestic and foreign political arenas to understand the problems of political negotiation. The editors and contributors share lessons from success stories and offer practical advice for overcoming polarization. In deliberative negotiation, the parties share information, link issues, and engage in joint problem solving. Only in this way can they discover and create possibilities, and use their collective intelligence for the good of citizens of both parties and for the country. "

This volume reviews current debates on the role of business in politics and it assesses emerging methodological approaches to its study. The book brings together leading scholars to assess various qualitative and quantitative methods, network analysis, historical context and positive rational choice modeling, and detailed research case studies in the study of Business-Government relations. Businesses have developed an increasingly sophisticated appreciation of the policy process, as well as an ability to develop complex strategies to influence it over the last 30 years. This volume reviews current debates on the role of business in politics and it assesses emerging methodological approaches to its study. The book brings together qualitative and quantitative methods, network analysis, historical context and positive rational choice modeling, and detailed research case studies. There is coverage of the environment in which business operates, including state, regional and international institutional frameworks. The internal organizational structure of business interests is considered along with the range of strategies used to influence the policy process. The book explores what policy-makers demand and what business supplies to the policy process. The key role of the firm as a political actor is emphasized, leading to a call for a theoretically informed political economy of the firm. The editors: Dr David Coen, Senior Lecturer in Public Policy, Director of Msc in Public Policy, School of Public Policy, University College London Professor Wyn Grant, Professor of Politics, Department of Politics and International Studies, University of Warwick The contributors: Andreas Broscheid, University of North Carolina - Pembroke David Coen, University College London Wyn Grant, Warwick University Cathie Jo Martin, Boston University Volker Schneider, University of Konstanz, Germany Graham K. Wilson University of Wisconsin - Madison