Introduction
The documentary that formed the basis of this research work is called “The Corporation.” It focuses on the Corporation as the most important and influential institution in modern society. The main aspects that the film considered were its nature, development, consequences, and the expected future. Particular attention was paid to how, over time, society ceased to influence this institution, and some ceased to be transparent and open to the public. First of all, the documentary clearly defines the public’s attitude to this form of business ownership, which is quite harmful in modern society. Hence, it is indicated that people consider them not as positive institutions but as organizations wishing to get as much money as possible. Further, a brief overview of the history of the emergence of corporations and what they were like is provided.
The documentary provides excerpts of interviews and stories of figures from various economic, environmental, political, social, and political spheres. With their help, the work gradually builds arguments that contribute to gaining an understanding of the nature of corporate activities and their impact on the environment and society. Moreover, the film discusses how companies psychologically influence people’s perceptions. In other words, they explain in detail how marketing works and which specialists are involved in this process. The critical thinking consortium is the last investigated aspect within the framework of the film. In this section, the interaction of cooperatives and the state was discussed.
Film’s Key Arguments
One of the key points is the argument that corporations have lost public trust over time. Thus, in many ways, the people who represent corporations are different from ordinary individuals, which alienates them. Consequently, the reliability factor is lost, which is necessary to maintain the operation of the business since consumers are a necessary component of success. Incredibly persuasive was the argument that most corporations use cheap labor for work. Thus, they create production facilities and hire people in poor countries where people work for a minimum wage. Thus, they exploit them and get a significant profit from production while not providing any benefits for the workers.
Another key argument for the negative impact of corporations is the adverse contribution to the health of the population. Hence, their productive activities negatively affect environmental pollution, which also causes people to get sick. It was incredibly persuasive to give an example of how some dairy producers give cows antibiotics for various diseases. Further, these drugs end up in milk, which people consume. Consequently, antibiotics are consumed with products and form antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the body of individuals and cause the further appearance of diseases that will be difficult to treat.
Further, the documentary examined the extent to which corporations follow legislative acts. Henceforth, the main question was whether obeying the federal law was cost-effective and profitable. Thus, companies are involved in activities that seriously violate the environment and thereby negatively affect the future of the planet and the population. Moreover, corporations are characterized by callous unconcern about other people’s feelings, thereby acting solely in their interests. Particular emphasis is placed on the fact that many companies are run by people who are only concerned about obtaining the most significant financial benefit. Thus, they resort to such tools as deception to achieve their goals. Moreover, they are not concerned about social problems that arise outside of the corporation’s activities. At the same time, it is worth noting that this factor does not apply to all managers since there are cases when people want to make changes but cannot because of the limitations of the company they work for.
A particularly important point in the film is the last section, which discusses the involvement of the state and its representatives in the activities of corporations. Therefore, it is noted that one of the main criteria is the accountability of business organizations, which motivates them to fulfill the expectations imposed by society. Particular attention is paid to democracy and how society can contribute to improving the situation regarding the harmful activities of corporations.
The Efficiency of the American Political System
When watching the documentary “The Corporation,” the question arises of the effectiveness of the work of the political system of the United States. This is due to the presentation of numerous practices that corporations use to increase profits. Among them may be the violation of federal and state laws and the exploitation of cheap labor force. Thus, it is important to understand that the country’s political system cannot be considered completely at fault for the issues that have arisen since the problems associated with the activities of corporations are a global and more complex issue.
One of the contributing factors in maintaining the opinion about the imperfection of the political system is the multitude of corporate crimes which have been committed by corporations. Examples could be federal criminal charges with the Valdez spill against the company Exxon or General Electrics, which were involved in defrauding the federal government (Encore +, 2017). There are a large number of instances of corporations violating federal laws and regulations, which may become an argument that the political and legislative system is not well engaged in regulating the activities of these businesses. This makes it necessary to find pitfalls in the country’s regulatory system, not only the political one.
Public opinion and the influence of media sources, which not only reflect the opinion of the population but also affect its formation, are also valuable when considering the issue. Therefore, these aspects may reflect individuals’ dissatisfaction with the harmful and exploitative actions of corporations. Moreover, they can directly affect the perception of these agents and cause their success and failure (Krutz, 2021b). The media, in turn, can become an agent of political socialization, which can provide citizens with an understanding of how they should act within the political system (Krutz, 2021c). Thus, they can influence state structures and figures who will form their strategies to limit social and economic problems.
For a more detailed understanding of the problem, James Madison’s discussion of factions and pluralism in Federalist No. 10 can be used. The concepts of pluralism show that a country can be ruled by a multitude of groups. In other words, not only people or politicians are involved in this activity, but also corporations themselves. The bottom line is whose impact is more substantial, and it is from this aspect that the rest of the activity and consequences occur. The same can be attributed to the concept of factions, which are a group of individuals who are driven by a common interest and impulse (Krutz, 2021). Within the political system framework, they can seriously contribute to improving the country’s situation by influencing changes and solving problems.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the documentary “The Corporation” became a valuable source that clearly and precisely conveyed the essential nature and nature of the actions of business corporations in the modern world. Therefore, it provided important key arguments that contributed to gaining an understanding of how organizations influence society and use it to achieve the greatest profit. Furthermore, within the framework of this work, it was noted the importance of the participation of the country’s political system, which, in collaboration with the public, can contribute to changing the situation.
References
Encore +. (2017). The Corporation – Documentary. YouTube. Web.
Krutz, G. (2021). Interest groups and lobbying. In American government 3e (pp. 339-372). OpenStax.
Krutz, G. (2021b). The Media. In American government 3e (pp. 265-302). OpenStax.
Krutz, G. (2021c). The politics of public opinion. In American government 3e (pp. 185-222). OpenStax.