Liberal corporatism

English liberal socialist philosopher John Stuart Mill supported corporatism as needing to predominate in society to create equality for labourers and give them a voice in management through democratic economic rights. Unlike a number of other forms of corporatism, liberal corporatism does not reject markets or individualism, but rather believes that a business is a social institution that requires a recognition of the needs of its members. This liberal corporatist ethic was similar to Taylorism but called for democratisation of the firm and election of management.

Liberal corporatism was an influential component of the progressivism in the United States that has been referred to as "interest group liberalism". Labour leaders' and progressives' advocacy of liberal corporatism is believed to have been influenced in reaction to the rise of syndicalism and particularly anarcho-syndicalism at the time in Europe. Liberal corporatism is commonly supported by proponents in Austria, the Netherlands, Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden.