Transnational corporations and state power: Copper in Chile and Zambia

This thesis uses a "balance of power" approach to assess the relative strength of the state and the transnational business corporations (TNCs) in Chile and Zambia from the penetration of the corporations to the present. The state and the corporations are viewed as competing organizations which mobilize resources in their struggle to benefit from the local copper industry. In both cases, the secular trend in the "balance of power" favoured the state, culminating in complete nationalization of the Chilean copper industry in 1971 and the Zambian industry in 1973.; After nationalization, the "game" changed from one of the state's surrounding and taking over the corporations to one of trying to join the world copper oligopoly. Chile expanded output after nationalization and became the dominant member of the oligopoly, while Zambia's output decreased after nationalization and became a minor supplier of copper. Chile produced 17 percent of output in 1971 and 21 percent by 1985, while Zambia produced 12 percent in 1973 and 8 percent in 1985.; Chile's and Zambia's experiences with nationalization suggest why Third World states are strong relative to TNCs and generally weak relative to their own societies. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)...