Chomsky | The Corporate Takeover of U.S. Democracy

Now corporate managers can in effect buy elections directly, bypassing more complex indirect means. It is well-known that corporate contributions, sometimes packaged in complex ways, can tip the balance in elections, hence driving policy. The court has just handed much more power to the small sector of the population that dominates the economy.

Political economist Thomas Ferguson’s “investment theory of politics” is a very successful predictor of government policy over a long period. The theory interprets elections as occasions on which segments of private sector power coalesce to invest to control the state.

Thomas Ferguson gets mentioned in “Manufacturing Consent”, and I really need to read his book. (I think it’s called “The Golden Rule”.)

(via Instapaper)