This article is derived from, but not a synopsis of, "Beyond Public/Private: Understanding Excessive Corporate Prerogative" by john a. powell and Stephen Menendian, which makes the case that corporations have overstepped their appropriate role in diverse democracies.
The concentration of wealth and influence held by corporations in the US is clear evidence of a serious structural distortion in our economy and political system. Apart from the inequities produced by high levels of income and wealth disparity (which have reached levels not seen since the Gilded Age), centralized economic power inevitably leads to centralized political power, which weakens and subverts the basic democratic norms and structures that were designed to better address the concerns of ordinary citizens.
This article charts the corporate form's development from public good entities to powerful political actors, purposely or otherwise working to distort policy outcomes for private gain, but often at the expense of the minority and marginalized groups who depend on government action to protect their rights and maintain channels for correcting injustice.
