| American Business and Political Power: Public Opinion, Elections, and Democracy Contributor(s): Smith, Mark A. (Author) |
|
 |
ISBN: 0226764648 ISBN-13: 9780226764641 Publisher: University of Chicago Press OUR PRICE: $33.66 Product Type: Paperback - Other Formats Published: October 2000 Annotation: 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 hold their representatives accountable and make elections a choice between contrasting policy programs. Rather than succumbing to corporate America, Smith argues, representatives paradoxically become more responsive to their constituents when facing a united corporate front. Corporations gain the most influence over legislation when they work with organizations such as think tanks to shape Americans' beliefs about what government should and should not do. |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Political Science | Political Process - General - Political Science | Political Process - Campaigns & Elections - Political Science | American Government - General |
| Dewey: 322.309 |
| LCCN: 00008248 |
| Series: Studies in Communication, Media, and Public Opinion |
| Physical Information: 0.57" H x 5.99" W x 8.93" (0.78 lbs) 245 pages |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
Contributor Bio(s): Smith, Mark A.: - Mark A. Smith is professor of political science and adjunct professor of comparative religions at the University of Washington. He is the author of two books: The Right Talk: How Conservatives Transformed the Great Society into the Economic Society and American Business and Political Power: Public Opinion, Elections, and Democracy. |