Ben Waber reviewed We the corporations by Adam Winkler
An Unmissable Legal History
5 stars
This is an absolute can't miss historical and legal analysis of the ascendant rise of corporate rights in US law and legal precedent, culminating in the already infamous Citizens United decision. Winkler demonstrates how far these interpretations strayed from original conceptions of corporate rights, the shaky legal foundations (including straight up lies by Supreme Court justices in their opinions) the building blocks of the current state of affairs are based upon, and the gradual imposition of new laws supporting these novel rights. It was also fascinating/horrifying to learn how much more companies have brought 14th amendment claims to the Supreme Court compared to Black people, with it becoming quite clear that most corporate rights have been gained through co-opting laws that were never intended to apply to companies. For people interested in law, corporate law, politics, management, and US history more broadly, this book is a must read. Highly recommend
This is an absolute can't miss historical and legal analysis of the ascendant rise of corporate rights in US law and legal precedent, culminating in the already infamous Citizens United decision. Winkler demonstrates how far these interpretations strayed from original conceptions of corporate rights, the shaky legal foundations (including straight up lies by Supreme Court justices in their opinions) the building blocks of the current state of affairs are based upon, and the gradual imposition of new laws supporting these novel rights. It was also fascinating/horrifying to learn how much more companies have brought 14th amendment claims to the Supreme Court compared to Black people, with it becoming quite clear that most corporate rights have been gained through co-opting laws that were never intended to apply to companies. For people interested in law, corporate law, politics, management, and US history more broadly, this book is a must read. Highly recommend