POL S 405 A: Advanced Seminar in American Politics

This seminar course looks at the role and impact of corporations in politics and society.   Where does corporate power come from and on whose behalf is it exercised?  How have corporations changed over time and are those changes best explained as the result of economic or political/policy factors?   Are there attractive and attainable alternatives to current policies and practices that empower and constrain corporations?  The course takes an interdisciplinary approach, with some coverage of the historical development of corporations and corporate law, contemporary corporate culture, and case studies of corporate scandals.  The policy/legal focus is primarily on the United States, but some attention is also given to alternative models of corporate law in other jurisdictions.