Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Acknowledgments
- Introduction
- 1 Studying Power in America
- 2 The Structure of the Auto Industry
- 3 Corporate Political Hegemony and Its Decline: 1916–1966
- 4 The Politics of Compromise: 1967–1978
- 5 The Resurgence of Corporate Power: 1979–1981
- 6 The Triumph of Corporate Power: Regulatory Policy, 1981–1988
- 7 The Triumph of Corporate Power: Trade Policy, 1981–1985
- 8 Interregnum: 1989–1996
- Conclusion: Corporate Power and American Democracy
- Index
Introduction
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 08 October 2009
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Acknowledgments
- Introduction
- 1 Studying Power in America
- 2 The Structure of the Auto Industry
- 3 Corporate Political Hegemony and Its Decline: 1916–1966
- 4 The Politics of Compromise: 1967–1978
- 5 The Resurgence of Corporate Power: 1979–1981
- 6 The Triumph of Corporate Power: Regulatory Policy, 1981–1988
- 7 The Triumph of Corporate Power: Trade Policy, 1981–1985
- 8 Interregnum: 1989–1996
- Conclusion: Corporate Power and American Democracy
- Index
Summary
The proverbial man from Mars, looking at us afresh, would doubtless come to the conclusion that the automobile was the dominant fact in our producing, consuming, and perhaps our fantasy lives; he could plausibly conclude that the four-wheeled creatures run the society and that the two-legged creatures are its servants.
Douglas DowdThe automobile industry offers a compelling example of the dominance of corporate power in American society. Fundamental questions about democratic governance and institutional responsibility are raised by examining the power of the nation's largest industry, and one that arguably has been the dominant industry of the twentieth century. This study focuses on the U.S. auto industry's political influence to show its inordinate impact on public policy. It is written for those who are interested in understanding the exercise of corporate power in America and its effect on democratic possibilities. This work is not intended for two audiences: car buffs, who want to read a celebration of the automobile, and those scholars who insist that the sole legitimate approach for social inquiry is statistical testing of hypotheses.
The corporation has long been acknowledged as one of the central institutions of modern society, rivaling, if not surpassing, the state in its impact on contemporary life. Accordingly, long-time business analyst Peter Drucker wrote decades ago:
What we look for in analyzing American society today is therefore the institution which sets the standard for the way of life and mode of living of our citizens; which leads, molds and directs; which determines our perspective on our own society; around which crystallize our social problems and to which we look for their solution. […]
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- Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 1999