LEADER 04399nam 2200733 a 450 001 9910962747603321 005 20240416155246.0 010 $a9780674075382 010 $a0674075382 010 $a9780674075368 010 $a0674075366 024 7 $a10.4159/harvard.9780674075368 035 $a(CKB)2670000000352480 035 $a(EBL)3301296 035 $a(SSID)ssj0000871513 035 $a(PQKBManifestationID)11549194 035 $a(PQKBTitleCode)TC0000871513 035 $a(PQKBWorkID)10823901 035 $a(PQKB)11104482 035 $a(MiAaPQ)EBC3301296 035 $a(DE-B1597)209770 035 $a(OCoLC)1011446943 035 $a(OCoLC)841171331 035 $a(OCoLC)979742843 035 $a(DE-B1597)9780674075368 035 $a(Au-PeEL)EBL3301296 035 $a(CaPaEBR)ebr10691839 035 $a(Perlego)1147637 035 $a(EXLCZ)992670000000352480 100 $a20121109d2013 uy 0 101 0 $aeng 135 $aur|n|---||||| 181 $ctxt 182 $cc 183 $acr 200 14$aThe fracturing of the American corporate elite /$fMark S. Mizruchi 205 $a1st ed. 210 $aCambridge, Mass. $cHarvard University Press$d2013 215 $a1 online resource (384 p.) 300 $aDescription based upon print version of record. 311 08$a9780674072992 311 08$a0674072995 320 $aIncludes bibliographical references and index. 327 $aIntroduction -- The rise of the American corporate elite -- The state and the economy -- Labor as uneasy partner -- The banks as mediators -- The breakdown of the postwar consensus -- Winning the war, but losing the battle: the fragmentation of the American corporate elite -- The aftermath -- The ineffectual elite. 330 $aIn the aftermath of a financial crisis marked by bank-friendly bailouts and loosening campaign finance restrictions, a chorus of critics warns that business leaders have too much influence over American politics. Mark Mizruchi worries about the ways they exert too little. The Fracturing of the American Corporate Elite advances the surprising argument that American CEOs, seemingly more powerful today than ever, have abrogated the key leadership role they once played in addressing national challenges, with grave consequences for American society. Following World War II, American business leaders observed an ethic of civic responsibility and enlightened self-interest. Steering a course of moderation and pragmatism, they accepted the legitimacy of organized labor and federal regulation of the economy and offered support, sometimes actively, as Congress passed legislation to build the interstate highway system, reduce discrimination in hiring, and provide a safety net for the elderly and needy. In the 1970s, however, faced with inflation, foreign competition, and growing public criticism, corporate leaders became increasingly confrontational with labor and government. As they succeeded in taming their opponents, business leaders paradoxically undermined their ability to act collectively. The acquisition wave of the 1980s created further pressures to focus on shareholder value and short-term gain rather than long-term problems facing their country. Today's corporate elite is a fragmented, ineffectual group that is unwilling to tackle the big issues, despite unprecedented wealth and political clout. Mizruchi's sobering assessment of the dissolution of America's business class helps explain the polarization and gridlock that stifle U.S. politics. 606 $aCorporations$xPolitical aspects$zUnited States$xHistory 606 $aChief executive officers$zUnited States$xHistory 606 $aBusiness and politics$zUnited States$xHistory 606 $aSocial responsibility of business$zUnited States$xHistory 607 $aUnited States$xSocial policy 607 $aUnited States$xEconomic policy 615 0$aCorporations$xPolitical aspects$xHistory. 615 0$aChief executive officers$xHistory. 615 0$aBusiness and politics$xHistory. 615 0$aSocial responsibility of business$xHistory. 676 $a322/.30973 700 $aMizruchi$b Mark S$0480890 801 0$bMiAaPQ 801 1$bMiAaPQ 801 2$bMiAaPQ 906 $aBOOK 912 $a9910962747603321 996 $aFracturing of the American corporate elite$9255593 997 $aUNINA