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Thomas J. Watson and the Business-Government Relationship, 1933–1956

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 February 2015

David L. Stebenne
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Abstract

The precise nature of the relationship between the American business community and the New Deal has been a lively topic of debate in recent years. This article looks at an important figure and firm in that relationship (Thomas J. Watson of IBM) to increase our understanding of it. This article focuses chronologically on the period from the early 1930s through the mid-1950s, when New-Deal-era public policy innovations were most influential. The overall picture that emerges from this study of the U.S. business-government relationship during those years is one of business accommodation of major changes in social conditions and public policies rather than a view of business as the primary leader of change.

Type
Articles
Information
Enterprise & Society , Volume 6 , Issue 1 , March 2005 , pp. 45 - 75
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s) 2005. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the Business History Conference. All rights reserved.

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