Lindblom - The Market System - Afghan Journalists' Committee

Enterprise Obstructions to Democracy 247either France or Germany. Contemporary estimates of thevalue of inducements run into many billions of dollars butvary wildly depending on what is included in the total—onsuch questions as how much of governmental expenditureon public education should be counted as a benefit or inducementto business.If enterprises falter for lack of inducement to invest,hire, and produce, members of the political elite are morelikely than those of the entrepreneurial elite to lose theirpositions. The consequence is constant attention by the politicalelite to the needs of the market elite, as evidenced bythe practice of presidents-elect in the United States to convenea meeting of major corporate heads even before theytake office to provide assurances that the new presidentwill be sensitive to their needs. It is an assurance not offeredto farmers, labor unions, municipalities, the military, orany other like group. On many issues and many circumstances,the needs of the market elite take priority overdemocratic demands on the state. The electorate is oftenslow to respond to disappointment and often forgets a disappointmentby the time of the next election. Disappointedmembers of the market elite may almost immediately reduceproduction, cut the workforce, or shut down and moveabroad.Here and there other groups can influence governmentby withdrawing or threatening to withdraw their services iftheir needs are not met. Subway workers and garbage removalworkers can extract concessions from a city’s governmentby the threat of strike. Governments have beenpersuaded by threatened discontent among physicians toyield to them on health policy. But governments do not sobroadly, deeply, and constantly depend on the performanceof such groups as they do on the performance of market