Industrial Policy

Starting from an assumption that well-designed industrial policies can improve economic performance, Industrial Policy draws on economic theory and comparative political economy to explain patterns of industrial policymaking across late capitalist societies. The book also focuses on new challenges and opportunities for industrial policy and questions the sustainability of current policy practice.

Chapters are structured around case studies of diverse countries’ growth models, considering national capabilities, policy traditions, industrial structures and positions in global value chains, and political/welfare state regimes. Through a nuanced comparative assessment of states’ responses to specific economic challenges, Steve Coulter draws broad conclusions about the trajectories of industrial policy and highlights key technical and political drivers that policymakers consider when addressing whether best practice should centre on general or nationally-specific approaches.