The political economy of class conflict

Texts reviewed:

C. Crouch (1977) Class Conflict and the Industrial Relations Crisis, Heinemann Educational Books.

F. Hirsch and J. H. Goldthorpe (eds) (1978) The Political Economy of Inflation, Martin Robertson.     

How Much Credit for Export Credit Support Under the SCM Agreement?

This contribution examines the degree of policy space the WTOleaves its Members to support export credits for non-agriculturalgoods. In the light of existing case law, it illustrates thatexport credit support offered by export credit agencies thataims at complementing the private trade finance market wouldin principle be prohibited under the SCM Agreement. However,while some low-income countries can rely on a specific exceptionon the prohibition on export subsidies, all WTO Members can,on the basis of the Illustrative List of Export Subsidies, justifycertain subsidized export credits that are in accordance withthe interest rate provisions of the OECD Arrangement. But, asthe case law and the OECD Arrangement currently stand, subsidizedexport credit guarantees and insurance as well as subsidizedshort-term export credits cannot rely on this safe haven. Hence,the article shows that export credit agencies, except for thoseof some low-income countries, cannot play a complementary roleto the private market in offering such support. Moreover, thiscontribution demonstrates that export credit support in accordancewith the safe haven might still be countervailable and actionable.Finally, it is argued that an exception which can be modifiedby a subgroup of WTO Members, like the safe haven, can no longerbe accepted.     

The regular article tracking developments at the national level in key European countries in the area of IT and communications – co-ordinated by Herbert Smith LLP and contributed to by firms across Europe

This column provides a concise alerting service of important national developments in key European countries. Part of its purpose is to compliment the journal's feature articles and briefing notes by keeping readers abreast of what is currently happening “on the ground” at a national level in implementing EU level legislation and international conventions and treaties. Where an item of European National News is of particular significance, CLSR may also cover it in more detail in the current or a subsequent edition.     

Institution Building and Spillovers

This paper investigates the importance of institution building for economic growth in transition economies of Eastern Europe and CIS‐States. Using recent data, it shows that even in a Guardian State, institutions like property rights protection, administration efficiency, and general rule of low matter. They appear to be even more crucial for economic take‐off than standard economic factors like for example macroeconomic policy. Moreover, this paper finds that there are important spillover effects in institution building, and that countries which get one specific institution right, have also better chances to succeed in making other specific institutions work properly.     

Maori Self‐Determination: Towards Differentiated Liberal Citizenship

During the 1980s and 1990s biculturalism was the ascendant political philosophy for managing the relationship between the New Zealand Crown and the indigenous Maori population. Biculturalism understood Maori politics as a partnership between Maori and the state, grounded in the Treaty of Waitangi, the agreement signed in 1840 from which British government was established. Biculturalism was presented as morally superior to multiculturalism which was understood as setting aside Maori Treaty rights and rights of prior occupancy in favour of less substantive rights available to Maori as one of many ethnic minorities. However, a deeper reading of multicultural political theory provides an instructive critique of biculturalism's inherent limits from the perspective of the Maori right to self‐determination. It shows why biculturalism's influence waned. It also shows why Matike Mai o Aotearoa, a blueprint for constitutional transformation commissioned by tribal leaders is unlikely to succeed as a contemporary attempt to reassert biculturalism's influence. Multicultural theory is not a panacea for the right to self‐determination, but it does not restrict the development of a broader Maori‐centred differentiated liberal citizenship in the ways that biculturalism precludes.     

Something Alien? The Limits of U.S. Influence in UK Campaigns

The campaign consulting business in the United States is the largest in the world and has had some success in globally exporting its expertise in terms of both personnel and technique. This paper reflects on the so-called “Americanization” of British elections and draws attention to some of the significant landmarks in the relationship between strategists in the two countries. The discussion does, however, identify the limitations of this idea as an organizing concept for understanding how election campaigning has developed in the United Kingdom.