Interest Intermediation in Capitalist and Socialist Systems

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Abstract
Because most studies of interest intermediation have not been undertaken comparatively, it is desirable to apply to the study of East European socialist systems a functionalist comparative taxonomy, notably by applying the concept of subsystem autonomy. It is argued that limited subsystem autonomy may increase the problem-solving capabilities of political systems, while high subsystem autonomy may have dysfunctional consequences. Combining a functional with a genetic perspective, the emergence of neo-corporatist interest intermediation has been in part attributable to the specific cultural characteristics originating in the early industrialization of certain European countries. Capitalist and socialist systems are facing comparable functional problems.