Lewis Powell Authors Strategic Memorandum for Corporate Institutional Capture

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, and media through long-term, coordinated strategies. This memo became a foundational blueprint for conservative institutional capture, directly influencing the creation of organizations like the Heritage Foundation, Business Roundtable, and American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). Later investigations revealed how this strategy enabled a comprehensive corporate infiltration of American democratic institutions, creating a revolving door between think tanks, industries, and government regulatory bodies. Political scientists have documented that corporate political engagement dramatically increased in the decade following the memo: corporate public affairs offices in Washington grew from 100 in 1968 to over 500 in 1978, and registered corporate lobbyists increased from 175 in 1971 to nearly 2,500 by 1982.