American Mafia: The Expansion of Corporate Power and the Decline of the Democratic System

Author: Ted Nagle (USA)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-01-01
Features: Companies have become the core organizations of modern society. In pursuit of profit and power, they advance unrelentingly, gradually breaking through legal restrictions and even challenging the sovereignty of nations. Where did companies come from? How did they acquire such immense power? What is their ultimate fate? In this book, Ted Nagle traces the process of corporate power expansion through a series of engaging stories. Each chapter addresses a central question from a different perspective: "How did companies gain power beyond that of individuals?" The answer is that this perplexing, ever-evolving monster formed under the influence of numerous individuals and events.
Companies have become the core organizations of modern society. In pursuit of profit and power, they advance unrelentingly, gradually breaking through legal restrictions and even challenging the sovereignty of nations. Where did companies come from? How did they acquire such immense power? What is their ultimate fate? In this book, Ted Nagle traces the process of corporate power expansion through a series of engaging stories. Each chapter addresses a central question from a different perspective: "How did companies gain power beyond that of individuals?" The answer is that this perplexing, ever-evolving monster formed under the influence of numerous individuals and events.
People obtain jobs and salaries, pursue careers, and find fulfillment through companies. In such a lifestyle, companies become intertwined with every breath of life, and no one thinks about whether companies are good or bad, nor do they care about the origins of this specific institutional arrangement. A force known as "corporate power" drives everything that happens in the public and private spheres. This force lurks deep within society, elusive and intangible. What are the attributes of this power? How does it function in practice? Does the law truly cater to the needs of companies? When a company's desires encounter institutional obstacles, how does it react? Who decides which areas are public and which are private? Who determines whether a company's specific actions are "crimes" or "business practices"?
To answer these questions, Ted Nagle delves into the origins of the company system, which seems ordinary to modern people. Starting from medieval England, he reviews the historical events that have influenced the development and evolution of companies, as well as the role of the U.S. Constitution in this process. This book blends the latest academic research with an engaging historical narrative, telling us the many stories behind the expansion of corporate power in the United States.