This book examines and compares policy making in telecommunications in Britain and France over the last three decades. The book examines questions related to liberalization, regulation and the role of the nation state in an increasingly international economy.

INTRODUCTION ; 1. National Institutions, Differences, Stability and Change ; 2THE ROOTS OF HISTORY: TELECOMMUNICATIONS IN BRITAIN AND FRANCE BEFORE 1969 ; 3 TECHNOLOGICAL AND ECONOMIC PRESSURES FOR CHANGE IN TELECOMMUNICATIONS FROM THE 1960S TO THE 1990S ; 4 PRESSURES FOR CHANGE FROM THE INTERNATIONAL REGULATORY ENVIRONMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS FROM THE 1960S TO THE 1990S ; PART TWO INSTITUTIONS AND POLICY MAKING 1969-1979 ; 5THE INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS IN BRITAIN AND FRANCE 1969-1979: DIVERGENCE, REFORM AND STANDSTILL ; 6 POLICY MAKING IN THE 1970S: CONSTRAINTS IN BRITAIN, BOLDNESS IN FRANCE ; PART THREE INSTITUTIONS AND POLICY MAKING 1980-1996 ; 7 THE INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS 1980-1997: NATIONAL CHANGE, DIVERGENCE AND DIFFERENCES ; 8THE IMPACTS OF INSTITUTIONAL DIVERGENCE: THE NETWORK OPERATORS IN BRITAIN AND FRANCE DURING THE 1980S ; 9 COMPETITION IN NETWORK OPERATION 1990-1996: DIFFERING NATIONAL PATHS AWAY FROM MONOPOLY ; 10 POLICY MAKING IN A NEW FIELD OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS: ADVANCED NETWORKS AND SERVICES AND CUSTOMER PREMISES EQUIPMENT FROM THE LATE 1970S TO THE MID-1990S ; PART FOUR ECONOMIC OUTCOMES ; 11 ECONOMIC OUTCOMES IN THE TELECOMMUNICATIONS SECTOR IN BRITAIN AND FRANCE 1970-1997: CONVERGENCE DESPITE INSTITUTIONAL DIVERGENCE ; PART FIVE CONCLUSIONS ; 12 CONCLUSION: NATIONAL INSTITUTIONS, POLICY AND CHANGE

`Thatcher's empirical approach, in conjunction with appropriate theory, will help policy-makers to tailor institutional mechanisms to the circumstances of each sector' Times Higher Education Supplement, November 16 2001 `The Politics of Telecommunications should find a wide readership among those interested in politics, public administration or telecommunications policy design' Times Higher Education Supplement, November 16 2001 `This analysis is of excellent quality and will appeal to all readers interested in the institutional aspects of telecoms, as well as to political scientists looking for a new field of analysis.' Paul Nihoul, The Journal of Policy, regulation and strategy for telecommunications, information and media, Vol.3, No.1, Feb 2001 `This book has many merits. It is based on meticulous empirical investigation and uses a coherent combination of research methods ... This is one of the few geuniely comparative works on Franco-British public policy. For this reason alone, its publication is to be welcomed and the book should certainly be ordered for the library.' Alistair Cole, West European Politics, Vol.24, No.1, Jan 2001 `thorough and thoughtful piece of scholarship, worthy of inclusion on final year undergraduate and graduate courses on the politics of economic policy-making' Francis McGowan, Political Studies Vol 49, No 2, June 2001 `an excellent exercise in comparative political economy' Francis McGowan, Political Studies Vol 49, No 2, June 2001 `Thatcher has produced an excellent comparative study, rich in empirical findings, given analytical focus by an explicit theoretical framework. It can be warmly commended note merely to those specifically interested in telecommunications but to readers who wish to understand how changes in the national processes of decision-making come about in a rapidly changing international environment.' Government and Opposition, Vol.36, No.1 `Having sensibly confined his research to two countries, but extending over a nearly thirty-year period, 1969-97, Thatcher has achieved both depth and breadth.' Government and Opposition, Vol.36, No.1 `Mark Thatcher's extremely thorough assessment of The Politics of Telecommunication in Britain and France has all the exemplary qualities of the doctoral thesis from which it originated. It is well-written and clearly argued, with scrupulous attention to ensure the accuracy of technical detail, supported by original information culled from his numerous interviews, supplemented by a comprehensive range of secondary sources.' Government and Opposition, Vol.36, No.1

Systematic study of the policy making behind the telecommunications industry in Britain and France In-depth analysis of the implications of privatization Political analysis of the effects of globalization on the nation state.

Systematic study of the policy making behind the telecommunications industry in Britain and France In-depth analysis of the implications of privatization Political analysis of the effects of globalization on the nation state.