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The privileged positions of business and science refer to the unique authority that persons in these areas hold in economic, political, and technosocial affairs. Businesses have strong decision-making abilities in the function of society, essentially choosing what technological innovations to develop. Scientists and technologists have valuable knowledge and the ability to pursue the technological innovations they want. They proceed largely without public scrutiny and as if they had the consent of those potentially affected by their discoveries and creations. == Privileged Position of Business == Businesses have considerable power in decision-making processes in business-oriented societies. High level executives make discrete decisions about technological innovation without regard to consequences. Political scientist Edward Woodhouse states that businesses make key economic decisions that include creating jobs, choosing industrial plant and equipment, and deciding which new products to develop and market.〔Woodhouse, Edward J. (2006). Nanoscience, Green Chemistry, and the Privileged Position of Science. In Frickel, Scott and Moore, Kelly. New Political Sociology of Science: Institutions, Networks, and Power (162). Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin Press.〕 Additionally, businesses hold a privileged position related to politics in the sense that they are capable of considerable influence over key public choices.〔Ibid., p. 161〕 The leadership role that business has in the economy gives executives of large corporations an unusual kind of degree of influence over governmental policy making.〔Charles E. Lindblom & Edward J. Woodhouse, The Policy-Making Process (91). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1993, third edition.〕 Government officials have incentives to carry out businesses’ demands. They know that failure of businesses to maintain high employment will upset voters more quickly than anything else.〔Ibid., p. 91〕 Our economy functions as a chain effect. Businesses that get what they want provide plentiful jobs and stimulate cash flow in the economy. As a result, citizens are happy, and this happiness translates to more trust and faith in the government party. Government officials thus have a higher chance of reelection. It is clear that the businesses have the most influence in this chain effect. If a business fails, jobs are lost, citizens are unhappy, and the government party loses trust and their chance of reelection. One example of this was President Bush’s plummeting popularity and resulting defeat by Bill Clinton.〔Ibid., p. 91〕 Therefore, it would make sense for government officials to reach out to these executives and provide valuable resources to benefit both parties. Power is shifted from government officials to business executives, because these executives have the ability to influence government officials to meet their demands. As a result, a large category of decisions is turned over to businessmen, and taken off the agenda of government. In a way, business managers become the public officials they represent. This privilege of power is unique to corporations only. If workers want reform on unfair working conditions or pay, they must form a worker’s union. However, a worker’s union has considerably less influence than a corporation. As opposed to workers’ unions, businesses exercise more control on governmental policy making because workers are expendable - workers need money more urgently than society needs their services, so a business can operate for a lot longer than workers can afford to stay off the job.〔Ibid., p. 95〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Privileged Positions of Business and Science」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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