Liberal corporatism

Liberal corporatism is an economic-democratic and liberal-socialist application of corporatism, which seeks workers' election of management and minimal state intervention in sector bargaining over economic policy.^[1] However, some forms of liberal corporatism exhibit non-socialist and nationalist-liberal characteristics.^[2][3] 'Liberal corporatism' is often in conflict with 'liberal pluralism',^{[clarification needed]} which opposes granting power to organised interest groups.^[1]

English liberal socialist philosopher John Stuart Mill supported corporatism as needing to predominate in society to create equality for labourers and give them a voice in management through democratic economic rights.^[4] Unlike a number of other forms of corporatism, liberal corporatism does not reject markets or individualism, but rather believes that a business is a social institution that requires a recognition of the needs of its members.^[5] This liberal corporatist ethic was similar to Taylorism but called for democratisation of the firm and election of management.^[5]

Liberal corporatism was an influential component of the progressivism in the United States that has been referred to as "interest group liberalism".^[6] Labour leaders' and progressives' advocacy of liberal corporatism is believed to have been influenced in reaction to the rise of syndicalism and particularly anarcho-syndicalism at the time in Europe.^[6] Liberal corporatism is commonly supported by proponents in Austria, the Netherlands, Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden.^[1]