Book Review: Europe: Creative Reconstructions: Multilateralism and European Varieties of Capitalism after 1950
| Published date | 01 May 2013 |
| Date | 01 May 2013 |
| DOI | 10.1111/1478-9302.12016_109 |
| Subject Matter | Book Review |
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even in this case, the arguments fail to consider in
features of domestic reform programmes. The primary
depth the substantive implications of the constitutional
contribution of the book lies not so much in claiming
transformations of the European Union.
that the EU mattered for the economic development of
its three most important economies – that would
Agustín José Menéndez
hardly surprise anyone – but rather in providing a new
(University of Léon)
set of theoretical lenses through which to analyse how
the multilateral commitments of governments pro-
Creative Reconstructions: Multilateralism and
foundly shaped the institutional evolution of economic
European Varieties of Capitalism after 1950 by
governance in Britain, France and Germany. The book
Orfeo Fioretos. Ithaca NY: Cornell University Press,
takes a number of important questions head on, for
2010. 245pp., $49.95, ISBN 9780801449697
example: why economic governance changes incre-
The book asks what explains the diversity in national
mentally or dramatically; how governments gain elite
patterns of institutional reform in post-Second World
support for their reforms; and how the domestic and
War Britain, France and Germany.With the ‘varieties of
international levels are interdependent. In the effort to
capitalism’ tradition as a starting point – and drawing
answer these questions the book is – on both an
on a combination of historical institutionalism and
empirical and theoretical level – ambitious, comprehen-
behavioural economics – Fioretos’ answer is that when
sive and rich.
governments aligned national and multilateral institu-
Martin B. Carstensen
tions in ways that were incentive compatible and
(Copenhagen Business School)
ensured that adaptation losses were small and maladap-
tation costs low for pivotal sectors of...
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