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
Summary
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
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references (pages 223-235) and index
