Is Business a Threat to American Democracy?.
Hudson's book, Democracy in Peril, there is a strong sense of hostility towards business. Hudson makes his point very clear that business is "one group in society [that] does monopolize political resources and can exact a response from the political system in a way that no other group can"(162). Moreover, Hudson is basically saying that business is threatening American democracy, as we know it today. I disagree with Hudson on this matter of business and it's position in American politics. America would not be what it is today without the existence, guidance, and assistance of business. I also believe that the less fortunately small interest groups, also lobbying in Washington, need to be heard.
First, Hudson talks mostly about how business keeps large, well paid staffs to protect and promote each business" interests. The businesses spend exorbitant amounts of money on these staffs, which are basically made up of people who have contacts to high places in the Government. The better the contact, the more money a business is liable to pay. Hudson, also talks later about the fact that big businesses hugely affect our everyday lives based on what they produce, how they produce it, how many plants they have, and how many workers these plants employ. With these two points taken together, I think it is only natural that business has it's nose stuck deep into the Government. In those big businesses they probably don't have random people sitting on their boards of managers. More than likely one manager represents each department, and there are possibly multiple managers for larger departments. I see business as just being an extremely large department of the business that is democracy. .
I see business and Government as the two pillars of America, working together to ensure a stable democracy. Regardless of how much power businesses have over the Government, the Government still reserves the power to regulate the businesses more strictly.
