Dr Parnell provides a two-level analysis of the politics of government-industry relations in Germany. On the one hand, he presents an in-depth examination of the politics of the German coal industry. On the other, he offers a more general account of the characteristic relationship between state and industry in one of the most successful post-war economies.

He argues that the crucial concept in understanding those relations is Selbstverwaltung (self-government). This notion, despite evolving over time, displays a continuity in its key features that serves to elucidate the unique position of the state in government-industry relations in Germany. The author argues that by shedding further light on existing theories of organized capitalism and corporatism, the notion of self-government can provide a basis for the analysis of broader socio-economic relations within the German-speaking world, and, in particular, the German economy's continued success.