For more on this subject see and Free Market Missionaries:
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Business-Managed Democracy‘Business-managed democracies are those in which the political and cultural
The Inner Circle
Reference: Michael Useem, The Inner Circle: Large Corporations and the Rise of Business Political Activity in the U.S. And U.K., Oxford, Oxford University Press, 1984, pp. 6, 36.
In his book The Inner Circle, written in the 1980s, Michael Useem claimed that whilst ‘a sense of class affinity based on company stewardship can hardly be said to be new, the strength of the bond has increased and a select circle of those in corporate power are now far more willing to work towards goals that serve all large companies.’ His study of the US and UK found that even at that time large corporations were becoming more and more interrelated through shared directors and common institutional investors.
Reference: Michael Useem, The Inner Circle: Large Corporations and the Rise of Business Political Activity in the U.S. And U.K., Oxford, Oxford University Press, 1984, pp. 70-1.
The inner circle of corporate executives facilitated the formation of many business associations and coalitions that sought a more general political agenda than traditional trade associations; one that was not industry or region specific. The new associations present a united front for their corporate members and assert the power of large corporations in political forums. These associations cooperate with each other and ‘perform largely complementary tasks.’ They not only share members and even leaders, but associations and coalitions often join other associations and coalitions as members, or create new associations and coalitions for specific purposes. They have also created an array of front groups that achieve their political goals whilst appearing to be independent of the founding corporations or associations. In this way a vast network of business coalitions and groups, supported by an array of well-funded think tanks and public relations firms, proliferated during the 1980s and 90s. Their purpose is not only to coordinate public relations campaigns as in earlier times but to exert collective pressure on policy makers to ensure that policies increase the power and autonomy of those corporations. And many of these coalitions are now global in their reach reflecting the transnational nature of the modern corporation, which seeks to pressure governments worldwide to implement corporate-friendly, open-access policies. 
See also: Introduction | Public Relations | Business Mobilisation | Interlocking Directorates
© 2009 Sharon Beder
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How Corporations Drive the Global Agenda
The Corporate Manipulation of Community Values
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