Elite Deviance

by Simon, David R.

• ISBN13: 9780205443987
• ISBN10: 0205443982
• Edition: 8th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2010-05-17
• Publisher: Allyn & Bacon

Summary

Celebrating its 25th anniversary, Elite Deviance is the only text in this area that takes a holistic view as it traces the causes of elite deviance to the structure of power and wealth in the United States. Book jacket.

Table of Contents

Preface	ix
1 The Nature of Elite Deviance	1	(46)
Scandal-Plagued America: The Bush Years as Metaphor	1	(11)
Scandals within the Economic Sphere	9	(3)
A Theory of Elite Deviance	12	(21)
The U.S. Social Structure: The Power Elite	13	(7)
Economy-State Linkages and the Functions of Government	20	(8)
Benefits That Elites Seek from the State	28	(2)
The Higher Immorality and Links between Various Kinds of Crime	30	(3)
The Classification of Elite Deviance	33	(5)
Acts of Economic Domination	36	(1)
Crimes of Government and Governmental Control	37	(1)
Elite Deviance as a Denial, of Basic Human Rights	37	(1)
Conditions Leading to Elite Deviance	38	(1)
Consequences of Elite Deviance	39	(1)
Conclusion	40	(1)
Critical Thinking Exercise 1.1	41	(1)
Endnotes	41	(6)
2 Elite Deviance and the Higher Immorality	47	(50)
The Nature of the Higher Immorality	47	(8)
Case Study: The Savings and Loan Scandal	48	(7)
The Higher Immorality and the Political Economy	55	(16)
Corporate Compensation: Salaries, Taxes, and Perks	55	(3)
Welfare for the Well-Off: Tax Breaks	58	(1)
The Asset Depletion Range	59	(1)
Taxes and Multinational Corporations	60	(1)
Misappropriated Charity: Foundations	60	(1)
Royalties for the Rich: Subsidies	61	(4)
The Creation of Crisis	65	(4)
Antitrust Laws	69	(2)
The Higher Immorality and Corporate Crime	71	(4)
Penalties: The Double Standard	73	(1)
Public Awareness	74	(1)
Organized Crime and the Business Elite	75	(14)
Organized Crime and Repression	75	(5)
Organized Crime and Profits	80	(2)
Organized Crime and the Political Elite	82	(4)
The Vatican Bank Scandal	86	(3)
Conclusion	89	(2)
Critical Thinking Exercise 2.1	91	(1)
Endnotes	91	(6)
3 Corporate Deviance: Monopoly, Manipulation, and Fraud	97	(35)
Costs of Corporate Crime	97	(1)
Penalties for Corporate Crime	98	(1)
Monopolies	99	(7)
The Corporate Frankenstein	100	(4)
Case Study: The Automobile Industry	104	(2)
Price-Fixing	106	(5)
Case Study: The Electrical Conspiracy	109	(2)
Price Gouging	111	(5)
Taking Advantage of the Disadvantaged	111	(1)
Taking Advantage of Unusual Events	112	(1)
Making Extraordinary Profits through Deception	113	(3)
Deceptive Advertising	116	(4)
Fraud	120	(6)
Conclusion	126	(1)
Critical Thinking Exercise 3.1	127	(1)
Endnotes	127	(5)
4 Corporate Deviance: Human Jeopardy	132	(38)
Individual Jeopardy	132	(22)
Unsafe Products	132	(4)
Food Pollution	136	(8)
The Tobacco Industry	144	(4)
Dangerous Working Conditions	148	(6)
Collective Jeopardy	154	(10)
Wasting Resources	154	(4)
Polluting the Environment	158	(6)
Conclusion	164	(1)
Critical Thinking Exercise 4.1	165	(1)
Endnotes	166	(4)
5 National Defense, Multinational Corporations, and Human Rights	170	(35)
The Military-Industrial Complex	176	(9)
The Defense Establishment' and Its Origins	176	(5)
Consequences of Defense Policies	181	(2)
The New Global Economy	183	(2)
Deviance and Multinational Corporations	185	(5)
Government Policy	187	(1)
Dumping Toxic Waste	188	(2)
Human Rights, Multinationals, and U.S. Foreign Policy	190	(11)
Iran	193	(2)
Latin America	195	(3)
Chile	198	(1)
Assessing U.S. Support	199	(2)
Conclusion	201	(1)
Critical Thinking Exercise 5.1	201	(1)
Endnotes	202	(3)
6 Political Corruption: Continuity and Change	205	(38)
Money and Politics	209	(20)
Purchasing Goods and Services	209	(2)
Public Funds	211	(1)
Public Property	212	(1)
Tax Assessment and Collection	213	(1)
Regulation of Commercial Activities	213	(1)
Zoning and Land Use	214	(1)
The Legislative Process	215	(5)
Law Enforcement	220	(4)
The Organization of Power	224	(5)
Corruption and Power	229	(9)
The Powerful Controlling the Powerless	229	(4)
Election Fraud	233	(1)
Unfair Campaign Conduct	234	(3)
Money in Elections	237	(1)
Conclusion	238	(1)
Critical Thinking Exercise 6.1	239	(1)
Endnotes	239	(4)
7 Political Deviance	243	(39)
The Corrupting Environment of Politics	248	(4)
Domestic Political Deviance	252	(19)
Secrecy, Lying, and Deception	252	(6)
Abuse of Power by Government Agencies	258	(3)
Political Prisoners	261	(4)
Official Violence	265	(6)
International Crimes	271	(4)
U.S. Intervention in the Domestic Affairs of Other Nations	271	(1)
War Crimes	272	(3)
Conclusion	275	(1)
Critical Thinking Exercise 7.1	276	(1)
Endnotes	277	(5)
8 Understanding Elite Deviance	282	(32)
Why Elite Deviance?	282	(1)
Elite Deviance and the Sociological Imagination: A Paradigm for Analysis	282	(6)
Elite Deviance and American Values: The American Dream	283	(2)
Social Structure: The Dominance of Elite Institutions	285	(3)
Characteristics of Bureaucratic Structures	288	(5)
Centralization of Authority	289	(1)
Specialized Vocabularies and Ideologies	290	(2)
Fragmentation and Routinization	292	(1)
Image Construction and Inauthenticity	293	(3)
Front Activities	293	(1)
Elite Deviance and "Individual" Characteristics	294	(2)
Organizational Conditions and the Production of Deviant Personalities	296	(4)
Links between Elite Deviance and Nonelite Deviance	300	(2)
Tangible Links	300	(1)
Symbolic Links	301	(1)
Elite Deviance and Victimization	302	(3)
Constructionist and Objectivist Positions on Elite Deviance	305	(3)
Conclusion	308	(2)
Critical Thinking Exercise 8.1	310	(1)
Endnotes	310	(4)
9 The Scandalization of America
Higher Immorality in an Era of Greed	314	(22)
Watergate	318	(2)
Iran-Contra	320	(5)
Early Involvement with Iran	321	(1)
Diverting Funds to the Contras	321	(1)
The Scandal: Contragate	322	(1)
The Nugan-Hand Bank Affair	323	(1)
The Iran-Contra Conspiracy-"Operation Polecat"	323	(1)
Connections and Conspiracies	324	(1)
Contragate and the Changing Nature of American Power and Corruption	325	(2)
Characteristics of Contemporary Scandal	327	(4)
The Study of Elite Deviance	331	(1)
Conclusion	332	(1)
Critical Thinking Exercise 9.1	333	(1)
Endnotes	334	(2)
Epilogue: Economic Democracy
A Proposal to Transform Society	336	(16)
The Real Secret Government	338	(1)
America's Main Drift	339	(1)
The Local Community and Social Change	340	(4)
Foreign Policy and Population Crisis	344	(1)
Why Change Must Come	345	(2)
Coda	347	(1)
Endnotes	348	(1)
Sources	349	(3)
Publications	349	(1)
Books	349	(1)
Organizations	350	(2)
Name Index	352	(7)
Subject Index	359