Corporations have emerged as the dominant governance institutions on the planet, with the largest among them reaching into virtually every country in the world and exceeding most governments in size and power. While corporations are characters in larger in stories of industrialization and capitalism, this course will emphasize the specific features of public corporations and their historical and contemporary relations to individuals, states, families, ethnic and racial groups, and other social actors. How did corporations emerge? How do the ways corporations shape activities compare/contrast with government regulation? How are corporations governed and how is this related to American constitutional democracy? Under what circumstances do corporations exercise military force? How do we participate in them as consumers, employees, and stockholders—and what are the conflicts among these forms of participation? What rights and responsibilities should corporations have? How should we engage them as citizens? We will examine these questions with particular reference to the greatest early joint stock corporation, the English East India Company, and Walmart.

Course Requirements:

Intended Audience:

First- and second-year students in LSA Honors Program

Class Format:

This course is offered FULLY ONLINE with synchronous lectures and sections. Accommodations will be provided for students in other time zones through the utilization of ASYNCHRONOUS lectures, recordings, and other devices.