The Structure of Corporate Political Action : Interfirm Relations and Their Consequences

We are not likely to get as careful, thoughtful, and thorough an examination of business unity for a long time to come. This is the most significant behavioral data that we have on the topic, and it shows that unity exists and is important for politics.--Charles Perrow, Yale University The dispute over power structure between elite and pluralist approaches was never resolved; it was simply exhausted. Mark Mizruchi's book will bring it back to life, not only with a new burst of energy but at a much higher level of discourse. The book combines methodological strength and a lively style; it is rigorous without losing relevance, methodologically sophisticated without losing the interest of the humanist. No sociologist or political scientist will be able to take it lightly.--Theodore J. Lowe, Cornell University Corporate political action remains one of the primary fuels of American politics. Mark Mizruchi assays its chemistry with impressive dexterity. Drawing on detailed analysis of PAC contributions to candidates for Congress and corporate testimony before Congress, Mizruchi offers new answers to the enduring questions: Are company political actions driven by market or managerial interests? Is business politically unified or divided? For fresh insights into how American business enters the political fray, The Structure of Corporate Political Action is required reading.--Michael Useem, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania The Structure of Corporate Political Action is an important contribution to the flourishing field of business research, trailblazing on many counts and exemplary in its analytic carefulness and sophistication and in the clarity with which the author communicates his research findings. In examining the effects on corporate political agreement of common stock ownership and market constraint, in exploring the determinants of congressional testimony, and, most important, in his careful examination of the structural bases of political agreement and cooperation among business enterprises, the author advances significantly our understanding of the role of the corporation in American politics, while at the same time extending structural analysis in exciting new directions.--Paul DiMaggio, Princeton University