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France: Policy Process, Performance and Capabilities

France: Policy Process, Performance and Capabilities. Functions of the Political System. Policy Performance, Outcomes and Capabilities: Fifth Republic France at the Beginning of the Twenty First Century. Policy Performance in France : Welfare as Distribution. Urban decay: Paris.

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France: Policy Process, Performance and Capabilities

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  1. France: Policy Process, Performance and Capabilities

  2. Functions of the Political System

  3. Policy Performance, Outcomes and Capabilities: Fifth Republic France at the Beginning of the Twenty First Century

  4. Policy Performance in France: Welfare as Distribution • Urban decay: Paris • Uneven ability to distributebenefits of growth fuels conflict • Wealth becoming more concentrated • Pockets of poverty in the rural areas • Pockets of poverty in the cities • Unemployed industrial workers • Ethnic North Africans

  5. Immigration and Distributive Capability • Legacy of French Colonialism • French Algeria in World War II • Reconstruction • Algerian Independence • Pied-Noir vs.Harkis • North African Immigration • The expansion of the Banlieue (5 million residents) • 20% unemployment (8.6%) • 26.5% poverty (6%) • 15% single parent families (8%) • Second generation “immigrants” more assertive

  6. Extractive Capability • Overall capability high • Taxes levied by central government • Taxes levied by local government • Taxes levied by Social Security Association (ASSO) • Regressive taxation • Percentage of income paid in taxes is higher for lower income people • Indirect taxation • Value Added Tax • 19.6% base rate, 5.5% for food and books, 2.6% for medicine

  7. Comparative Extractive Capability

  8. The income Tax: a Comparison of Tax Rates in USA and France

  9. French Policy Performance: Expropriation/Nationalization as Distribution • Nationalizations and post World War II “Catch up” policy • Gaullists and Socialists on same page • Footprint of State control • Banking • Energy and transportation • 13 of 20 largest firms • 24% all workers received check directly from government

  10. French Policy Performance: Conflicting Perspectives on the French Right • Demands for privatization increase in late 1980’s because of poor performance by state industries • Calls by the political right for social spending • Modernization remains an issue • Dirigisme declines • Socialism vs. liberalism

  11. French Policy Performance: Welfare as Distribution • Most effective in social transfers • Education • 18 million students (nearly 25% or population) • Higher education is funded by the state • 7.2% of GDP is spent on education • Social security • Income security • Four additional types: • Illness • old age • family • recovery • Other forms of income security

  12. French Policy Performance: National Defense • Components • French Air Force • French Army • French Navy • Force de frappe Hervé Morin (Minister of Defense)

  13. Cold War Defense Policy • Attempt to Regain control over former Colonies • Indochina • Africa • De Gaulle’s withdrawal from NATO’s command structure • Plans for self sufficiency • Backdoor agreement with NATO

  14. Post Cold War French Defense Policy Performance • Socialists vs. Gaullists • Socialists downplay national security • Chirac’s plans for defense modernization short-circuited by Socialist victory in 1997 National Assembly elections • Current panorama • Concern that France’s place in world declining • Gulf war – France made less of a contribution than Britain • Balkan peace keeping reveals greater French military weakness • Focus on external power projection • Rejoining NATO’s command structure • Terrorist groups in Francophone Africa • Cases if Deployments abroad Afghanistan Libya

  15. French Policy Performance: Regulation • Some reduction over industry • Inefficiency of state run enterprises • Remains issue of contention between right and left • Expanded with regard to individual rights • Expanded in environmental controls • Restrictions on individuals of foreign origin • Largely immigrants from North Africa • Religion important part of regulatory battle

  16. French Policy Performance: Symbols and Symbolic Capability • French culture/civilization still a source of pride • Cleavage of French Revolution largely healed • Ethnic consciousness growing • Historic minorities (Bretons) • Muslim immigration from North Africans • Head scarves

  17. Policy Outputs are Political Goods

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