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PPM 651
GOVERNMENT-BUSINESS RELATIONS
Spring, 1995
Course Description
This course examines the complex relationship of conflict and cooperation that exists
between government and business. The course focuses attention on four major areas:
business and the legislature, regulation, industrial policy and other business assistance
programs, and international trade policy. The course provides an introduction to
substantive issues in each of these areas as they illuminate the overall topic of
business-government relations.
There are three types of readings for which students will be responsible. A package of
Kennedy School and Harvard Business School Cases is available at the Bookstore. Students
are responsible for reading and being thoroughly familiar with each case as it is
discussed, as class participation is heavily weighted in the grading.
Each student will also be responsible for reading one of the books on the supplemental
reading list and then writing a book report on the books. Students will present an oral
summary of their book reports in designated classes. The written book report will be due
the class when the oral presentation is made. See Appendix for more details on this
assignment.
Students will also read Lehne, Richard Industry and Politics: The United States in
Comparative Perspective. Assignments are shown on the following page.
Grades will be based on three elements: participation in discussion of the cases (35%),
the written and oral presentations of the book reports (35%) and a final paper (30%).
Class participation grades will be based on frequency of participation and demonstrated
knowledge of the cases.
READING ASSIGNMENTS
Lehne,
Jan 17 Introduction pp. 1-39
Lehne, Business and the Legislature pp. 41-56, 74-108, 143-195
Jan 24 Muskie and Clean Air Act
Jan 31 NO CLASS
Lehne,Business and the Regulators pp. 109-142, 196-211
Feb 7 Interest Witholding Tax A, B, C
Minneapolis Plastic Package Ban
Feb 14 Airport Landing Slots
Feb 21 NO CLASS
Feb 28 Managing Environmental Risk: The Case of ASARCO
Allied Chemical
Mar 7 Tradeable Pollution Allowances
Lehne, Government Helping Business pp. 230-246
Mar 14 The Semiconductor Industry Association and Japan
Mar 21- Sematech
Mar 28 DARPA
Apr 4 XPORT-A Public Sector Trading Company, Sequel
The Massachusetts High Technology Council, Sequel
International Harvester
Apr 11 General Agreeement on Tariffs and Trade pp. 57-73, 212-229
U.S.-Canada Free Trade Negotiations
Apr 18 Saving the Steel Industry
The U.S. Machine Tool Industry
Apr 25-May 8 Book Reports pp. 247-270
May 15 Final Paper Due
PPM 651
BOOK REPORTS
Each student will write a book report on one of the books listed below. (Other books
may be suggested, but they must deal with a topic covred in the course, illustrate some
aspect of government-business relations, and be approved by the instructor). Oral reports
will be presented the last two weeks of class. The written book report is due at the time
of the oral presentation; it should be no more than 10pp. double spaced. Your book report
should address the following:
A brief (no more than two pp.) synopsis of the book.
What are the major points of each book that address the nature or character of
government-business relations and of the relative roles of each in society?
How does the book help understand the issues raised by the cases discussed in the assigned
readings, cases, and class discussions?
All books are available from the USM Library, the Law Library, or may be ordered on
interlibrary loan from another campus in the UMS. You may use your library ID number to
order books using the computer in the Portland Library or the Law Library. Books ordered
from another campus take about a week to be delivered here, and can be checked out for a
shorter period of time than books at USM. Many of the books may also be available in the
USM or other bookstores for purchase. The USM bookstore can also special order books, or
give you the phone number of publishers to order the book directly (this is often the
fastest way to get a book if it is not in a bookstore.
In order to assure that a variety of topics are covered, readings will be assigned by me
based on your stated preferences. Attached is a form which should be returned to me by the
third week of class indicating your first, second, and third choices for your book report.
Every efffort will be made to assign first choices, but in case of a tie, assignments will
be made randomly. Assignments will be made by the fourth week of class.
Tolchin and Tolchin: Dismantling America
Choate, Pat: Agents of Influence
Lodge, G.C. Perestroika for America
Bovard, James The Fair Trade Fraud
Barlett and Steele America: What Went Wrong
Noll, Roger G. The Political Economy of Deregulation
Wilson, Graham Business and Politics: A Comparative Introduction
Leone, Robert Who profits: Winners, Losers, and Government Regulation
Birnbaum, Jeffrey Showdown at Gucci Gulch
Coll, Steve Deal of the Century
Cohen and Noll The Technology Pork Barrel
Boltuck and Litan Down in the Dumps
Breyer, Stephen Regulation and its Reform
Bryner, Gary Blue skies, green politics : the Clean Air Act of 1990.
Porter, Michael E The competitive advantage of nations.
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