Political and Policy Analysis by Peter Seybold
BSTRACT:
The rise of behaviorism in political science and political sociology replace the pre-Wor... more BSTRACT:
The rise of behaviorism in political science and political sociology replace the pre-World War II concern with the formal operation of government institutions with a focus on electoral processes and candidate choices of American voters. The rise of behavioralism and the consequent dominance of pluralist theory as the portrait of political process was not the result of pluralist theory emerging victorious in the marketplace of ideas. Rather, it reflected the institutional leverage exercised by the Ford Foundation as a representative of the interests of the corporate elite.
This article first explores the forces that produce the interdependence of business and governmen... more This article first explores the forces that produce the interdependence of business and government, with a focus on the constraints that this interdependence places on government policy.. It then explores the mechanisms by which these constraints are activated through the direct influence of corporations on policy formation and implementation. Specific attention is paid to personnel transfers between business and government; business sponsored policy-planning groups which develop policy and then transmit it into government; advisory commissions which temporarily import business leaders into the formal policy development process; and appointment of business representatives to the Boards of Trustees and Directors of autonomous public institutions.
In a collective enterprise, fourteen leading social scientists have worked closely to explore the... more In a collective enterprise, fourteen leading social scientists have worked closely to explore the power network connecting U.S. corporate structure with other key sectors of the society. In clear, non-technical terms, the contributors examine such issues as interlocking boards, business control of banks, the government as an agent of the ruling class, the "cap-ture" of regulatory agencies by the businesses they were supposed to regulate, and penetration of various U.S. insti-tutions by a corporate "inner group." In addition, this volume contains the first general analysis of the structure of intercorporate co-ordination among multinational businesses and the expression of business interest in educa-tional systems, transportation policy, urban investment, and academic political theory. Together the essays address not only the processes of cor-porate decision making and policy formation, but also the vulnerability of the elite to mass discontent, the fragility of its role in the face of mass action
Papers by Peter Seybold
TRAILS: Teaching Resources and Innovations Library for Sociology, Apr 26, 2010
Humanity & Society, 2013
This article seeks to introduce some of the basic concepts that Antonio Gramsci developed and app... more This article seeks to introduce some of the basic concepts that Antonio Gramsci developed and apply them to recent American politics. It especially looks at political consciousness in the United States and it contradictions and argues that Gramsci’s concept of hegemony is useful in understanding the political landscape in the United States. A crucial element in the right-wing organizing in America stems from the Powell memorandum and the orchestrated attempt to discredit the social movements of the 1960s.
Herbert Marcuse was a great inspiration to many social theorists. He and C. Wright Mills were gen... more Herbert Marcuse was a great inspiration to many social theorists. He and C. Wright Mills were generally considered to be the intellectual forefathers of the New Left in the US. Capitalism was still...
Socialism and Democracy, 2016
Socialism and Democracy, 2015
Socialism and Democracy, 2013
Science For the People, 1982
The American Political Science Review, 1993
The American Historical Review, 1977
The authors of this prizewinning and best selling book on electoral behavior have brought their s... more The authors of this prizewinning and best selling book on electoral behavior have brought their study up-to-date with a trenchant analysis of the 1976 presidential election. Once more by carefully analyzing national voting patterns, they give substantive meaning to statistics and figures. ...
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Political and Policy Analysis by Peter Seybold
The rise of behaviorism in political science and political sociology replace the pre-World War II concern with the formal operation of government institutions with a focus on electoral processes and candidate choices of American voters. The rise of behavioralism and the consequent dominance of pluralist theory as the portrait of political process was not the result of pluralist theory emerging victorious in the marketplace of ideas. Rather, it reflected the institutional leverage exercised by the Ford Foundation as a representative of the interests of the corporate elite.
Papers by Peter Seybold
The rise of behaviorism in political science and political sociology replace the pre-World War II concern with the formal operation of government institutions with a focus on electoral processes and candidate choices of American voters. The rise of behavioralism and the consequent dominance of pluralist theory as the portrait of political process was not the result of pluralist theory emerging victorious in the marketplace of ideas. Rather, it reflected the institutional leverage exercised by the Ford Foundation as a representative of the interests of the corporate elite.