This book takes a look at the world of accounting and examines business's relationship with the state. It compares the accounting regulations in Germany, the UK and the US to provide evidence that privatization and convergence must be used with caution, at least in the world of accounting.

JOCHEN ZIMMERMANN is Professor of Accounting at Bremen University, Germany. His research focuses on comparative accounting, studying the institutions and regulation of accounting, accounting practice, the effects of European integration on accounting practice and procedures, and corporate governance.

JÖRG WERNER is Assistant Professor in the Department of Accounting, Bremen, Germany. His work covers corporate governance and international accounting research.

PHILIPP VOLMER is a Research assistant at the Department of Accounting, University of Bremen, Germany. He works in Transaction Services at KPMG, Germany.

PART ONE: TRANSFORMATION OF STATEHOOD IN ACCOUNTABILITY AND ACCOUNTING: THE FRAMEWORK Accounting: A Socio-Economic View Transformation of Role Models: Germany, the UK and the US PART TWO: NEW GOVERNANCE ARRANGEMENTS IN DISCLOSURE Rise and Fall of the 'Golden Age' Nation State Model The New Accounting Procedures in Europe: Combining Transnational Standard-Setting and Supranational Rule-Making The Struggle Between Private and Public: The Case of Stock Exchanges PART THREE: THE ROLE OF THE NATION STATE IN ENFORCEMENT The Nation State Interlude in Auditing: From Private Arrangements to Transnational Governance The Stronghold of the Nation State: Enforcement Agencies PART FOUR: FORCES OF TRANSFORMATION AND CONVERGENCE: POTENCY AND IMPOTENCE OF THE NATION STATE The Weakened Nation State: Economic Globalization and Regime Convergence The Powerful Nation State: Sarbanes-Oxley and the Global Reach of Regulation PART FIVE: ANALYTICAL SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION Convergence Towards Stable Public-Private Collaborations? Summary and Conclusion