How Did We The People Lose Control Over Corporations?

[eniwetok]

8. once corporations were under tight civic control

The Constitution took no position on corporations and therefore the matter was left to the states.

In the early republic states tended to keep corporations on a tight leash... allowing them to perform tasks government was not able or permitted to do... such as build a canal or a turnpike. If a corporation failed... it would be dissolved and the task given to a new one. The corporate death penalty was used quite often.

Somewhere the corporate form became perpetual, and able to do anything that was legal. It was also because more liable to shareholders than the state.

I'm not a fan of federalism because they often create a race to the bottom. States will compete to have the lowest regulations hoping corporations will flock to their state. This is what would happen if health insurance is allowed to compete over state lines. These companies will flock to the state that offers consumers the least protections... a GOP wet dream.

The real question is why, on a strategic front, Dems are not making it a top priority to limit the corporate form when we know the GOP statistically is trying to expand the power of corporations? Granted Move To Amend is such an effort... but it's very limited... trying to reverse Citizens United. But it does nothing to reverse the corporate damage prior to that.