Power

In our discussion Wednesday, we discussed many aspects of power that I think it is important to understand. With regards to the six institutions where power is found, I agree that the government military and business hold immense power in contemporary times. Even though there is power found in the military, I think that the power found between business and the government is a growing topic of interest. The connection between government and business has been increasing since the emergence of the modern corporation. This is even more apparent in recent years I feel. The integration of private business with government is considered socialism. It seems that more and more our country has been moving in this direction with examples such as the recent healthcare bill. Although there are some benefits that can come about from things such as the healthcare bill, I do not think that government and business should have such a strong integration. An even more worrisome aspect of the integration of business and government is the influence business is able to place on government. The power that corporations have has gotten to a level that I don’t think is acceptable. Corporations are able to influence politicians through lobbying and campaign funding. I think that these activities need to be eliminated, if not abolished. The fact that businesses are able to influence public policy, I find very unsettling. Because of their almost unlimited funds, businesses will continue to be able to carry out these activities. Without these activities stopping, corporations will continue to be able to have unfair advantages.