ABSTRACT
This part introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters. The part explains why economic reform in Germany has not followed the pattern expected by many US and other foreign observers. It describes the history of consensus that has long characterized economic and industrial relations among business, labor, and the government in Germany. The part provides specific examples of some of the reforms currently under way in Germany. It presents the reform of telecommunications services in Germany and the United States, which started with considerably different systems. Germany, along with many other countries, has faced social and technological developments that have caused great changes in the domestic economy, which in turn has experienced changes that have caused considerable social disruption. The economic changes have created increasing challenges for Germany's manufacturing sector. From the US perspective, the debate in Germany has been difficult to understand.
