Since the 19th century (at the latest), concern about the ability of ones own industry to compete was frequently the object of mournful glances at ones own weaknesses and the strengths of others. Using the examples of British and German debates from the recent past, this volume examines the success and failure of different strategies, from measures to increase individual motivation right up to the big reform projects such as "Thatcherism."

"Fahrmeir's lucid and valuable study thus establishes not only that German conceptions and systems of citizenship predate the victory of German nationalist (and nativist) thought, but also that, despite the greater liberality of the British system in most respects, the German regime had many attributes more liberal than the British...Fahrmeir strikes a telling and persuasive blow for the "modernit" account of nationalism against the "primordialists.."" - Central European History

..". a] truly comparative ... lucid and valuable study ... By virtue of...

Der Sammelband untersucht - in Deutschland erstmalig - die Entwicklung von Korruptionspraktiken und -debatten von der Fruhen Neuzeit bis in die Gegenwart. Die Fallstudien zeigen, wie sich die Definition und die Akzeptanz von Korruption und verwandten Handlungsmustern wandelten. In fruhneuzeitlichen Kontexten waren diese offensichtlich und alltaglich. Staatliche Modernisierung und Verrechtlichung trugen ab dem 19. Jahrhundert auf einer normativen Ebene zur Trennung von Privatsphare und Offentlichkeit bei, verdrangten jedoch korrupte Praktiken nicht. Diese hatten weiterhin eine wichtige...