From State to Market? : The Transformation of French Business and Government

From State to Market examines the changing role of the French state in the economy between 1981 and 1995 and its impact on business.

The Mitterrand years saw the transformation of business and its relationship to government. From State to Market, first published in 1996, details the governmental policies toward business that went from nationalization to privatization, deregulation, and ever-increasing European integration, bringing with them the move from a dirigiste, or state-directed, economy to a more market-oriented one. Professor Schmidt profiles the players, the interpenetrating elite of top business and government officials who share common state educational history and career track and who, as the beneficiaries of the all-pervasive culture of the state, have managed not only to maintain their hold in the ministries but also to colonize industry. This book, which spans the fields of public policy and political economy, contains both empirical information - the results of over forty interviews with top business and government officials - and a theoretical framework that sets French state-society relations in comparative perspective.