The article "Corporatism (and Neo-corporatism)" by Peter Munk Christiansen provides a comprehensive overview of corporatism and neo-corporatism, discussing their origins, definitions, variations, and empirical prevalence. Here's an extensive summary including the definitions of key concepts:

• Corporatism and Neo-corporatism Origins and Definitions:
  • Corporatism originally related to Catholic political thinking aimed at moderating capitalism's negative impacts by creating political positions for different economic interests representatives. It became associated with Fascist ideologies in the 1920s-1940s. The term "neo-corporatism" distinguishes present-day corporatism from its earlier Fascist associations, emphasizing organized market economies where business and trade union representatives coordinate with the state on economic issues like inflation, unemployment, and labor market regulation.
  • Neo-corporatism as a concept is contested, with definitions varying from a way of organizing capitalism to an interest group system, or a method for integrating interest groups into political decision-making. It remains a significant, though evolved, phenomenon in countries with strong corporatist legacies.
• Corporatism's Evolution:
  • Historical corporatism traced back to Medieval Europe, evolving through Catholic Church's engagement with social issues caused by rapid industrialization and urbanization. Fascist Italy under Mussolini exemplified corporatism in practice, which ended with Fascism's fall.
  • The resurgence of corporatism, termed "neo-corporatism," emerged post-World War II, differing from its Fascist past and focusing on integrating organized interests into the state's decisional structures. Philippe Schmitter's work in the 1970s was pivotal in redefining and operationalizing the concept.
• Key Concepts and Variations:
  • Pluralism vs. Corporatism: Pluralism represents a system where interest groups compete freely and are not state-controlled, contrasting with corporatism's state-recognized and monopolistic interest representation.
  • Societal vs. State Corporatism: Societal corporatism relates to democratic welfare states, while state corporatism describes authoritarian states.
  • Varieties of Corporatism: Distinguishes between corporatism as a form of capitalism (emphasizing economic coordination) and as a variety of democracy (focusing on interest group integration into policy-making).
• Empirical Prevalence and Decline Debate:
  • The empirical presence of neo-corporatism has been studied extensively, showing varying levels of corporatism across different countries. The "varieties of capitalism" approach categorizes economies into liberal and coordinated market economies, with the latter exhibiting corporatist characteristics.
  • The debate on neo-corporatism's decline centers on whether and how corporatist structures have adapted or diminished in the face of economic and political changes since the 1970s. While some aspects of corporatism have weakened, especially in policy preparation, corporatist practices and influence remain significant in many countries.
• Conclusion:
  • Despite its evolution and the challenges it faces, corporatism continues to be a relevant and adaptable framework for understanding the interaction between states, interest groups, and market actors. Strong, resourceful interest groups, a legacy of corporatist practices, continue to play a crucial role in policy-making and implementation in countries with a corporatist history.