Americanstodayworryaboutconcentratedpowerinprivateindustrytoanextentnotseeningenerations.Notonlydotheyfinddiminisheddiversityofservice-providersandproducers,buttheyaredisquietedbythepowerofafewlargecompaniestoshapeandconstraindemocraticprocesses.Americansacrossthepoliticalspectrum,fromformerPresidentDonaldTrumptoMassachusettsSenatorElizabethWarren,havesoundedalarmsabouttheoverlargepowerofbusinessinbothpublicandprivatelife.WhilemanyofthetechnologiesandindustriesthatworryAmericansarenew,theconcernsthey’veraisedarenotunprecedented.AntimonopolyandAmericanDemocracytracesthehistoryofantimonopolypoliticsintheUnitedStates,arguingthatorganizedactionagainstconcentratedeconomicpowercomprisesanimportantAmericandemocratictradition.Whileprevailingnarrativestendtotreatmonopolyasarisktopeoplemainlyintheirrolesasconsumers--bycausingpricestoincrease,forexample--thisstudybroadenstheconversation,recountingwaysinwhichmonopolismcanhurtordinarypeoplewithoutdirectlyimpactingtheirwallets.Fromthepre-revolutionaryeratotheageofBigTech,thevolumeexplorestheeffectsthathistoricalmonopolieshavehadondemocracybyusingtheirwealthandinfluencetodominateelectoralpoliticsandregulation.Chaptersalsohighlightarangeofsitesofeconomicconcentration,fromlandownershiptomediareach,andattemptsatcombatingthem,fromlabororganizingtoconstitutionalrevision.Featuringoriginalscholarshipfromsomeoftheworld’sleadingexpertsinAmericaneconomic,political,andlegalhistory,AntimonopolyandAmericanDemocracyoffersimportantlessonsforourcontemporarypoliticalmoment,inwhichfearsofconcentratedwealthandinfluenceareagainontherise.
