The Political Power of the Business Corporation

The large business corporation has become a governing institution in national and global politics. This trail-blazing book offers a critical account of its political dominance and lack of democratic legitimacy.

Thanks to successful wealth generation and ideological victories the large business corporation has become an effective political actor and has entered into partnership with government in the design of public policy and delivery of public services. Stephen Wilks argues that governmental and corporate elites have transformed British politics to create a 'new corporate state' with similar patterns in the USA, in competitor economies - including China - and in global governance. The argument embraces multinational corporations, corporate social responsibility, corporate governance and the inequality generated by corporate dominance.

The crucial analysis presented in this ground-breaking book will prove invaluable for academics, researchers and both under- and postgraduate students with an interest in the role of the corporation in politics and society across a wide range of fields including business and management (business ethics), politics, political economy, sociology, corporate governance and strategy.

Contents: Preface . The Genesis of a Governing Institution 2. The Corporation as a Political Actor 3. Globalisation and the Enhanced Power of Multinational Corporations 4. Corporate Power in the UK: The Rise of the Corporate Elite 5. The Politics of the New Corporate State 6. Partnership and Policy in Britain s New Corporate State 7. Multinational Corporations as Partners in Global Governance 8. Corporations, Culture and Accountability 9. How Persuasive is Corporate Social Responsibility? 10. The Explosion of Interest in Corporate Governance 11. Conclusion: Fairy-tales, Facts, Foci and Futures Bibliography Index

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