The Fracturing of the American Corporate Elite

Mark S. Mizruchi

“[Mizruchi] claims that business has abdicated responsibility for developing and advocating practical solutions to national, as opposed to purely sectional, interests. His view will perhaps come as a shock to those accustomed to the ideological divides of our current political landscape. Mizruchi shows how, in the past, businesses had been prepared to cooperate with both government and labor organizations in the common pursuit of national objectives.”—Kirkus Reviews

“A striking interpretation of our present economic and political plight. Mark Mizruchi sees many of our problems nested in the dissolution of the ruling business elite that exercised a moderating influence from World War II to the 1970s. Counterintuitive, impeccably researched, closely argued, and depressingly on target.”—Charles Perrow, Yale University

“This book will become a seminal contribution to our understanding of the nature and transformation of the U.S. corporate elite over the past century.”—Richard Lachmann, University at Albany, State University of New York

“Mizruchi shows that in the postwar years, corporate leaders, whatever their weaknesses, put their heads together when the going got tough and came up with political solutions. The system was not altogether democratic, but it resulted in effective problem solving, and a means of bringing the powerful together to pursue the nation’s common goals. That system has fallen apart. This captivating story, told with fluidity and grace, provides a compelling explanation for today’s failure of political ingenuity and compromise.”—Frank Dobbin, Harvard University

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