Liberal corporatism

For form of corporatism associated with social democracies, sometimes also called 'Liberal corporatism', see Social corporatism.

Liberal corporatism is an economic-democratic and liberal-socialist application of corporatism, which seeks workers' election of management and minimal state intervention in sector bargaining over economic policy.^[1] Liberal corporatism is often in conflict with liberal pluralism,^{[clarification needed]} which opposes granting power to organised interest groups.^[1]

English liberal socialist philosopher John Stuart Mill supported corporatism as needing to predominate in society to create equality for labourers and give them a voice in management through democratic economic rights.^[2] Unlike a number of other forms of corporatism, liberal corporatism does not reject markets or individualism, but rather believes that a business is a social institution that requires a recognition of the needs of its members.^[3] This liberal corporatist ethic was similar to Taylorism but called for democratisation of the firm and election of management.^[3]

Liberal corporatism was an influential component of the progressivism in the United States that has been referred to as "interest group liberalism".^[4] Labour leaders' and progressives' advocacy of liberal corporatism is believed to have been influenced in reaction to the rise of syndicalism and particularly anarcho-syndicalism at the time in Europe.^[4] Liberal corporatism is commonly supported by proponents in Austria, the Netherlands, Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden.^[1]

See also

• Corporatism
  • Social corporatism
• Economic democracy
  • Codetermination
  • Sectoral bargaining
  • Worker cooperative
  • Workplace democracy
• Liberal socialism
• Market socialism
• Welfare capitalism
• Political particularism – Ability of policymakers to further their careers by catering to narrow interests