Is Policy Enacted by Politicians or Corporate America?
Faculty Mentor
Two WU mentors: Jennifer Leigh Disney, Ph.D.; Brandon Ranallo-Benavidez, Ph.D.; disneyj@winthrop.edu; benavidezb@winthrop.edu
College
College of Arts and Sciences
Department
Political Science
Faculty Mentor
Jennifer Disney, Ph.D. and Brandon Ranallo-Benavidez, Ph.D.
Abstract
Corporate America is the collective group of big business and bigger corporations within the United States. This group of business plays a big role in the United States’ economy; however, it may play a bigger role in the national legislative scheme. There might be more overlap within the two than society would perceive it to be. This study will analyze the financial and societal influence that corporate America has on politics, politicians, and the policies created by such. I will examine the past thirty years, look at the biggest corporate lobbyists, and see where their donations lie and the outcome of politics after that. This is in order to see the trend or relationship between economics and politics in America and assess the extent to which a majority of policies made within the United States are within the interest of corporate America, instead of the interest for the betterment of society and the nation entirely. This trend will be analyzed by the highest donors for each campaign and their campaign map down to the laws being enacted and the supporters who continue to influence them. This type of quantitative data will be collected to demonstrate that elected officials, or America in its entirety, is more in the grasp of Corporate America than that of the “free will” democracy we might imagine it to be.
Additional Fields About Your Abstract
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Course Assignment
PLSC 490 - Disney and Ranallo-Benavidez
Is Policy Enacted by Politicians or Corporate America?
Corporate America is the collective group of big business and bigger corporations within the United States. This group of business plays a big role in the United States’ economy; however, it may play a bigger role in the national legislative scheme. There might be more overlap within the two than society would perceive it to be. This study will analyze the financial and societal influence that corporate America has on politics, politicians, and the policies created by such. I will examine the past thirty years, look at the biggest corporate lobbyists, and see where their donations lie and the outcome of politics after that. This is in order to see the trend or relationship between economics and politics in America and assess the extent to which a majority of policies made within the United States are within the interest of corporate America, instead of the interest for the betterment of society and the nation entirely. This trend will be analyzed by the highest donors for each campaign and their campaign map down to the laws being enacted and the supporters who continue to influence them. This type of quantitative data will be collected to demonstrate that elected officials, or America in its entirety, is more in the grasp of Corporate America than that of the “free will” democracy we might imagine it to be.
