Market Power and the Economy: Industrial, Corporate, Governmental, and Political Aspects

A situation in economics that is little short of scandalous is the almost total neglect by mainstream economics of the importance of power in economic affairs. Power in this context means the ability to bend market forces in one's favor, influencing and shaping key economic variables such as prices, wages, and other income determinants. As John Kenneth Galbraith as­ tutely observes: a dominant fact in economic life is the desire of people everywhere and in all circumstances to get control o...