The basel chemical multinationals: Corporate action within structures of corporatism in Switzerland

This study is part of a developing corpus on the political economy of the multinational enterprise. It considers the embeddedness of the three Basel‐headquartered chemical multinationals in the ‘private and decentralised’ corporatism of the Swiss political economy. These companies enjoy privileged positions in a policy network weighted towards large business. Such corporate power is evident in the ‘self‐regulation’ of genetic engineering, which has nevertheless been politicised by interest group opposition. Indeed the agitation of ‘outsider’ groups has served to weaken the edifice of Swiss corporatism, the legitimacy of which has been called into question by the Swiss rejection of the European Economic Area. The article concludes with a criticism of corporate inactivity in the EEA referendum campaign, and points to the negative implications of the Swiss ‘No’ for the Basel MNEs.     

Evaluating class participation: Some reflections on the university of New South Wales and Macquarie university experience

FRIDMAN ON TORTS. By G. H. L. Fridman. [Waterlow Publishers. First edition. 607 pp. incl. index. £85.00 (hardback).]

TEXTBOOK ON LABOUR LAW. By John Bowers and Simon Honeyball [Blackstone Press. 385 + 52 pp. £17.95.]

EMPLOYMENT LAW. By Tom Harrison. [Business Education Publishers Limited. 1990. 373 pp. £13.95 (paperback).]

BUSINESS LAW. By Denis Keenan and Sarah Riches. [Pitman. 1990. Second edition, xviiv &; 391 pp. (paperback).]

SMITH AND KEENAN'S COMPANY LAW. By Denis Keenan. [Pitman. 1990. Eighth edition, xx &; 460 pp. £14.99 (paperback).]

COMPANY LAW. By Mayson French and Ryan. [Blackstone Press. 1990. Seventh edition, lxxviii and 639 pp. £21.95 (paperback).]

THE LAW OF CORPORATE INSOLVENCY. By Ian Snaith. [Waterlow. 1990. First edition. 783 pp. £70.00 (hardback).]

CRIMINAL LAW: REVISION WORKBOOK. Editor F. R. Sampson. [H.L.T. Publications. 1990. First edition. 221 pp. £9.95 (paperback).]

CRIMINAL EVIDENCE STATUTES AND MATERIALS. By J. A. Andrews. [Waterlow Publishers. 1990. 223 pp. incl. index. £19.95 (paperback).]

EDUCATION AND THE LAW. Edited by Auson Wolfg Arteh Geoffrey Bennett and John Dunford. [Longmans. £30 per annum.]

CHILDREN AND THE LAW. By D. Freestone (Editor). [Hull University Press. 332 pp. incl. index, (hardback).]

TEXTBOOK ON INTERNATIONAL LAW. By Martin Dixon. [Blackstone. 1990. First edition. 248 pp. incl. index. £14.95 (paperback).]

PRINCIPLES OF PUBLIC INTERNATIONAL LAW. By Ian Brownlie. [Clarendon Press. Oxford. 1990. Fourth edition. 748 pp. incl. index. £55.00 (hardback), £25.00 (paperback).]     

The German solidarity pact: A case study in the politics of the Unified Germany

The political process in the old Federal Republic was distinguished by all‐pervasive negotiations and an orientation towards consensus, as indicated by the concepts of ‘co‐operative federalism’, ‘co‐operative opposition’ and ‘neo‐corporatism’ frequently used to describe relations between the federation and the state governments, between the federal government and opposition, and between the federal government and organised economic interests. Some observers expected German unification to lead to fundamental changes in these traits. This study of the negotiations which took place over a ‘Solidarity Pact’ between September 1992 and March 1993 concludes that, far from the political process of the old Federal Republic having been transformed by unification, its distinguishing traits appear rather to have been reinforced. It argues that, whilst there will be no second Solidarity Pact, cooperation and compromise will remain more pervasive in the politics of the unified Germany than confrontation and polarisation.