ABSTRACT
The corporate welfare economy's (CWE) second characteristic is the growing ability of the ruling alliance to limit and shape public discourse throughout academia and research institutes, Washington DC, and the national media. The limiting and shaping of discourse by nexus members reinforces their growing ability to translate their economic power to influence electoral, legislative, and regulatory processes through campaign contributions, lobbying, and revolving door employment of politicians and bureaucrats. Private sector nexus members gain influence over the content of policy-related public discourse among cooperating academics, government officials, media owners, and media writers and reporters. This influence is achieved through financial awards, campaign contributions or the promise of future employment at lucrative terms, the purchase of media advertising or even the purchase of the media itself. The carefully researched documentary demonstrates that the 2008 financial crisis was partly due to some economics department professors being corrupted by financial institutions.
