How the Corporate Takeover of American Politics Began, The Powell Memo: Robert Reich 💸

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*2023, (5 mins). 📃

- Description. The corporate takeover of American politics was rapid and ruthless. In 1976, I watched as thousands of corporate lobbyists descended on Washington, D.C. Fast forward to today, and lobbying has become a $3.7 billion dollar industry. It's all because of the Powell Memo, 1971.

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'We Have the best government money can buy.'
- Mark Twain (Gilded Age, 19th c., early 20th c.).

Funny how corporations have billions for lobbying and political campaigns yet can't pay their fare share of taxes and wages!

The day Supreme Court decided corporations were legally 'persons' was the day they signed democracy's death warrant. ('Citizens United' 2010, 'corporate personhood'). Corporations are people and can give unlimited political campaign funds to express their free speech.
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- Citizens United, Explained, Brennan Center for Justice, 2025. The Supreme Court’s 2010 ruling in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission is a controversial decision that reversed century-old campaign finance restrictions and enabled corporations and other outside groups to spend unlimited money on elections.

The 2010 Supreme Court decision further tilted political influence toward wealthy donors and corporations.

While wealthy donors, corporations, and special interest groups have long spent money on campaigns, their role has ballooned as a result of Citizens United and subsequent decisions, resulting in a fusion of private wealth and political power unseen since the late 19th century...
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/citizens-united-explained