The Squelching of the Corporate Connection: The Great American Government Textbook Coverup

Abstract

Corporations play a major part in our political and economic lives today. Yet despite their significant role in the political process, most major mainstream American government texts today do not pay significant attention to these important political actors. This however has not always been the case. Pre-World War II American government texts during the 1910s, 20s, and 30s did give important consideration to corporate institutions as well as to the operation of other economic forces. That such is the case is demonstrated through consideration of the evolution of several early twentieth century American government texts - those by Beard, by Munro, and by Ogg and Ray - three of the most popular works of this period. In comparison to the significant treatment of corporations and other economic factors, especially in the earlier editions of these texts, these aspects of the American political system tend to be minimized in the post World War II mainstream texts of the 1950s, 60s, 70s, and onward. In noting this curtailment of economic considerations, attention is paid to the handling of antitrust and lobbying activities in the Burns and Peltason texts-the most popular mainstream work of the post World War II era, and one which serves as a model for most of today's texts.