American gangsters

Author: Ted Nagle
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-01-01
Features: The company has become the core organization of modern society. In pursuit of profit and power, it advances unreluctantly, gradually breaking through legal constraints and even challenging the sovereignty of the state. Where did the company come from? How did it acquire such immense power? What is its 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 the company gain power beyond that of individuals?" The answer is that this perplexing, ever-evolving monster was shaped by the influence of numerous individuals and events. People find employment and salaries through companies, pursuing their careers. In this way, the company becomes intertwined with everyone's breath—no one thinks about whether the company is good or bad, and no one cares about the origins of this specific institutional arrangement. A force known as "corporate power" drives everything that happens in both the public and private spheres. This force lurks deep within society, elusive and intangible. What are the attributes of this power? How does it operate concretely? Does the law truly cater to the needs of the company? When the company's desires encounter institutional barriers, how does it react? Who decides which areas are public and which are private? Who determines whether the 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 commonplace to modern people. Starting from medieval England, he reviews the historical events that have influenced the development and evolution of the company, 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 the stories behind the expansion of corporate power in America.