Business Influence in American Politics

Do Trump and other business executives as politicians deliver on their promise to "run government like a business?" When do corporations speak out against such threats to democracy as the Capitol insurrection, and does it matter? Can activist campaigns successfully pressure social media companies to de-platform disinformation? Business shapes contemporary American politics in more ways than many appreciate. In this course, we will explore business power in American democracy, how it leads to policy change (or doesn't), and how it may be harnessed for good.