Business, Money and the Rise of Corporate PACs in American Elections

The authors begin by looking at the overall role of business in American politics, exploring the larger issues of the role of business in society, how that role is played and with what effect, and whether business should play any role at all. They then turn to a consideration of corporate PACs from an organization perspective and describe the relationship between PACs and the political environment that gave rise to their formation. Using their own considerable research on the subject, they explore both the policial geography of corporate PACs and the operation of PACs in the campaign environment. Finally, the authors address the central question of what PACs will become in the future, under different social, political, and economic conditions. Written for both political scientist and professionals in the field of corporate-government relations, this is a timely contribution to the ongoing debate on the relative merits of corporate PACs.