U.S. Chamber of Commerce

$25 Million Corporate Lobbying Blitz Drives NAFTA Passage Despite Labor Opposition

| Importance: 8/10

U.S. businesses and the Mexican government launch a $25 million coordinated lobbying and public relations campaign to secure Congressional approval of NAFTA, overcoming fierce opposition from labor unions and environmental groups. The Business Roundtable, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and National …

Business Roundtable U.S. Chamber of Commerce National Association of Manufacturers American Express Mexican Government +2 more nafta corporate-lobbying trade-policy labor-opposition business-roundtable +2 more
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Corporate Lobbying Presence Quintuples in Washington DC

| Importance: 8/10

By the end of the 1970s, corporate public affairs offices in Washington dramatically expanded from 100 in 1968 to over 500, with registered corporate lobbyists increasing from 175 in 1971 to nearly 2,500. This unprecedented mobilization, influenced by the Powell Memo, represented a systematic …

U.S. Chamber of Commerce Corporate Lobbying Industry Lewis Powell Fortune 500 Leadership capture-cascade corporate-lobbying washington-dc institutional-capture political-infrastructure +1 more
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Nixon Nominates Lewis Powell to Supreme Court Two Months After Corporate Blueprint Memo

| Importance: 10/10

President Richard Nixon nominates Lewis F. Powell Jr. to the Supreme Court just two months after Powell authored his secret corporate blueprint memo to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce on August 23, 1971. Amidst a rare opportunity to reshape the Supreme Court, Nixon nominates Powell alongside William …

Richard Nixon Lewis F. Powell Jr. John Mitchell U.S. Chamber of Commerce Supreme Court powell-memo supreme-court-nomination judicial-capture corporate-blueprint nixon-administration +1 more
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Powell Memorandum Establishes Blueprint for Conservative Think Tank Strategy

| Importance: 9/10

On August 23, 1971, Lewis F. Powell Jr. delivered his confidential memorandum ‘Attack on American Free Enterprise System’ to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, providing a strategic blueprint for corporate political mobilization. The 34-page document outlined a comprehensive strategy for …

Lewis F. Powell Jr. Eugene B. Sydnor Jr. U.S. Chamber of Commerce Jack Anderson Richard Nixon regulatory-capture corporate-influence think-tank-strategy conservative-movement business-activism +2 more
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Lewis Powell Writes Landmark Memo Blueprinting Corporate Institutional Capture Strategy

| Importance: 9/10

Corporate lawyer Lewis Powell drafts a confidential 34-page memorandum to Eugene B. Sydnor Jr., Chair of Education Committee of U.S. Chamber of Commerce, titled “Attack On American Free Enterprise System.” This document provides a comprehensive, systematic blueprint for corporate capture …

Lewis F. Powell Jr. Eugene B. Sydnor Jr. U.S. Chamber of Commerce Nixon Administration powell-memo corporate-strategy judicial-capture business-blueprint democracy-capture
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Lewis Powell Issues Memorandum Outlining Corporate Institutional Capture Strategy

| Importance: 9/10

Lewis Powell, two months before Supreme Court nomination, sends confidential memo to U.S. Chamber of Commerce titled “Attack On American Free Enterprise System.” The memo outlines systematic plan for corporate coordination to capture key institutions including courts, media, and …

Lewis F. Powell Jr. Eugene B. Sydnor Jr. U.S. Chamber of Commerce powell-memorandum institutional-capture-blueprint corporate-coordination systematic-planning
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Lewis Powell Authors Strategic Memorandum for Corporate Institutional Capture

| Importance: 9/10

Lewis Powell mailed a confidential, strategic memorandum titled ‘Attack On American Free Enterprise System’ to Eugene B. Sydnor Jr. at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. The document outlined a systematic plan for corporations to defend and expand their power by capturing courts, academia, …

Lewis Powell Eugene B. Sydnor Jr. U.S. Chamber of Commerce powell-memorandum institutional-capture strategic-planning corporate-power supreme-court +1 more
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Lewis Powell Authors Corporate Blueprint Memo

| Importance: 9/10

Supreme Court Justice nominee Lewis F. Powell Jr. writes confidential memo to U.S. Chamber of Commerce outlining systematic strategy for corporate capture of democratic institutions. The memo provides a detailed blueprint for business mobilization through think tanks, legal foundations, lobbying …

Lewis F. Powell Jr. Eugene B. Sydnor Jr. U.S. Chamber of Commerce Richard Mellon Scaife Joe Coors +1 more capture-cascade blueprint institutional-capture powell-memo chamber-of-commerce +1 more
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