ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces the concept of oligopolistic cooperation based on structural intradependence, and proposes it as a more accurate description of the industries that comprise the industrial core of the US economy. Many economists agree that oligopoly is the most prevalent market structure in the United States and other industrialized countries. This is especially true in finance, mining, and manufacturing. For the study the nation's ten largest banks and five largest insurance companies were selected for examination. This examination produced sufficient evidence to designate seven banks, four insurance companies, and one diversified financial enterprise as having administratively and financially evolved into oligopolistically cooperative market structures. In absolute size and concentration, the banking and insurance organizations, nationally, accounted for 23 percent and 32 percent of the total assets within their respective industries. The existence of oligopolistic cooperation demands a thorough examination of government's current public policy formulations—both statutory and regulatory, as well as, perhaps, in some instances, ownership.
