Private power, public policy and the U.S. automobile industry.
Item
-
Title
-
Private power, public policy and the U.S. automobile industry.
-
Identifier
-
AAI8914775
-
identifier
-
8914775
-
Creator
-
Luger, Stan.
-
Contributor
-
Adviser: Robert Engler
-
Date
-
1988
-
Language
-
English
-
Publisher
-
City University of New York.
-
Subject
-
Political Science, General
-
Abstract
-
This dissertation is a study of the changing nature of corporate political power. It examines government policy toward the automobile industry to analyze how a contracting economy has affected the political leverage of contending groups over public policy (business, labor and the public interest). It argues that government policy toward the auto industry can be understood in terms of three periods: from the birth of the industry until the mid-1960s, 1966-1978, 1979-present. Each period has a distinct pattern governing industry-government relations. At first the industry was able to control the questions of safety and pollution, preventing federal regulation. This hegemony ended with the rise of "public interest" opposition culminating in federal safety regulations. Subsequently, vehicle design was the product of bargaining between the industry and government. As the industry encountered unprecedented economic losses in the late 1970s this pattern of defensive maneuvering shifted and the industry obtained a series of more favorable government policies. The hypothesis of this study is that the vulnerability of public officials to corporate interest groups increases with recessionary conditions. This can be explained, in large part, by the structural dependence of government on private corporations for tax revenue and economic growth. With economic contraction the options seen as available to policy makers are limited to those favorable to the interest of business in the hope of stimulating economic growth. As a result the political leverage of corporations increases. This study examines the trade and regulatory policies affecting the industry, including import quotas, safety, emissions and fuel economy. It also examines anti-trust policy, the Chrysler bailout and the unsuccessful attempt for domestic content legislation.
-
Type
-
dissertation
-
Source
-
PQT Legacy CUNY.xlsx
-
degree
-
Ph.D.
