American business and political power : public opinion, elections, and democracy
Most people believe that large corporations wield enormous political power when they lobby for policies as a cohesive bloc. With this controversial book, Mark A. Smith sets conventional wisdom on its head. In a systematic analysis of postwar lawmaking, Smith reveals that business loses in legislative battles unless it has public backing. This surprising conclusion holds because the types of issues that lead businesses to band together--such as tax rates, air pollution, and product liability--also receive the most media attention. The ensuing debates give citizens the information they need to hol
1 online resource (xii, 245 pages) : illustrations
9780226764658, 9781282679313, 9786612679315, 0226764656, 1282679317, 661267931X
648760854
Introduction
Business unity and its consequences for representative democracy
Identifying business unity
A portrait of unifying issues
Public opinion, elections, and lawmaking
Overt sources of business power
Structural sources of business power
The role of business in shaping public opinion
The compatibility of business unity and popular sovereignty
English