Should corporations put public purpose before profit? Once upon a time, corporations were required to have a public purpose, and once they fulfilled it, they were dissolved. How did we get to where we are today, and what does it mean for democracy? Maria Armoudian discusses these questions with Richard Abrams, Paul Pierson, and Scott Bowman.

Richard Abrams is a Professor of History at the University of California, Berkeley. He is an expert in American history and is the author of America Transformed: Sixty Years of Revolutionary Change, 1941–2001.

Paul Pierson is a Professor of Political Science at the University of California, Berkeley. He is an expert in American politics and is the author of Winner-Take-All Politics: How Washington Made the Rich Richer–and Turned Its Back on the Middle Class.

Scott Bowman is Chair of the Political Science Department at California State University, Los Angeles. He is an expert in American politics and is the author of Modern Corporation and American Political Thought: Law, Power, and Ideology.

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Disclaimer: The ideas expressed in this podcast reflect the views of the guests and not necessarily the views of The Big Q.