Suchergebnisse

The nature & potential benefits of a progressive political organization independent of the Democratic & Republican parties are discussed in a comment on Michael Kazin's "Alternative Politics: Is a Third Party the Way Out?" (see SA 44:4/9608889). Kazin claimed that progressives must not only support the Democratic Party but also limit all activities to the structures within the Democratic Party. It is argued that Kazin underestimates the power of third party organization (specifically the New Party) & misjudges the damage that a third party could inflict on the Democrats. Declining wages, increased inequality, poverty, urban decay, cutbacks in environment/consumer protections, & recognition of the extent of lobby/corporate control over political parties have set the stage for a new form of progressive politics working outside the two-party system. In order to impact change, progressive parties must organize & actively participate in the elections that shape policy. However, progressive parties must initially work both within the Democratic Party & independently participate in nonpartisan races so that increased progressive support does not divide the Democratic Party & thereby grant increased authority to Republicans. T. Sevier

Although the failure of conservative & liberal politics to advance democracy in the US have provided progressives with the opportunity to achieve actual political reform, it is stressed that progressive approaches to democratic change are hindered by various obstacles. Factors that have caused the ideological & organizational fragmentation of progressive politics in the contemporary US are identified including the absence of a common framework for analyzing & discussing problems, the lack of sufficient financial resources, & many progressives' abandonment of mass politics & subsequent adoption of liberal political perspectives. Therefore, three recommendations for resuscitating the progressive movement in the US are offered: empowering American citizens with true democratic authority & means of organization; establishing a novel economic paradigm that emphasizes the equitable distribution of resources in an environmentally responsible way; & forming a progressive political party to challenge Democratic & Republican dominance. It is concluded that American citizens must abandon politics as usual & adopt progressivism in order to realize attainable political reform. J. W. Parker

(A corrected version of an article published in Studies in Law, Politics, & Society, 1990, 10, [see SA 39:2/91X4958].) The contribution of recent state theory to sociolegal research is discussed, especially as it is relevant to social explanation. Five requirements for social explanation are put forth: (1) institutions matter; (2) resources matter; (3) everything is politics; (4) undesirable features of coordination & cooperation are the rule, not the exception, in social life; & (5) the task of constructive social organization is to overcome these failures through a more virtuous institutional organization of interests. Two recent debates about the utility of state theory are provided, & it is concluded that state theory is relevant to sociolegal study, but is problematic in the sense that it is "excess theoretical baggage." It is argued that much of sociolegal work is focused on the subject matter relevant to state theory, but that state theory itself is limited in its applicability. 8 References. D. Dennis

Contributions of state theory to sociolegal research are summarized in terms of five related claims: (1) institutions play a major role in the organization of a society; (2) resources are a necessary element for successful collective action to change social organization; (3) everything is politics, the pitting of one group's interests against those of others; (4) failures in coordination & cooperation in social life are the rule, not the exception; & (5) the task of social organization is to overcome such failures, & the task of social theory is to help social organizations do this. While the outcomes of such efforts are not always predictable, we do have the means to effect improvements in societal life. 8 References. J. W. Stanton

As the influence of labor unions declines in many industrialized nations, particularly the United States, the influence of workers has decreased. Because of the need for greater involvement of workers in changing production systems, as well as frustration with existing structures of workplace regulation, the search has begun for new ways of providing a voice for workers outside the traditional collective bargaining relationship. Works councils-institutionalized bodies for representative communication between an employer and employees in a single workplace-are rare in the Anglo-American world, but are well-established in other industrialized countries. The contributors to this volume survey the history, structure, and functions of works councils in the Netherlands, Germany, France, Spain, Sweden, Italy, Poland, Canada, and the United States. Special attention is paid to the relations between works councils and unions and collective bargaining, works councils and management, and the role and interest of governments in works councils. On the basis of extensive comparative data from other Western countries, the book demonstrates powerfully that well-designed works councils may be more effective than labor unions at solving management-labor problems.