Central Definitions
There does not exist a single widely accepted definition of corporatism. However, on the most general level corporatism can be understood as a system of interest representation or a policy process including political exchanges between the state/government and interest organizations, where the state and the interest organizations use each other’s resources in order to fulfil their own goals (Schmitter, 1979; Lehmbruch, 1979).
Corporatism is often contrasted with pluralism, especially in political science. Corporatism includes privileged access of a few, strong and hierarchical ordered organizations – such as employers’ organizations and trade unions – whereas pluralism is the less monopolized and more open and competitive form of involvement.
Related terms include ‘concertation’, ‘social partnerships’ and ‘social pacts’.
Historical/Generic Aspects
The term ‘corporatism’ – and the related term ‘social partnership’ – has its origins in catholic social philosophy,...
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Mailand, M. (2023). Corporatism in Public Policy. In: van Gerven, M., Rothmayr Allison, C., Schubert, K. (eds) Encyclopedia of Public Policy. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-90434-0_57-1
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