After the Vietnam War and the 1960’s both sides of the political spectrum became fearful the population was becoming to out of control The Powell Memorandum is a memo written for and by right-leaning politicians. The memo argued for a concerted effort to re-establish the strength of the American corporation in society and it’s control over society. The memo called for supporting pro-business thinkers in media and educational systems and the creation of organizations dedicated to promoting goals of the corporation. The Powell Memo became a call to arms for businesses to unite and re-shift public opinion and legislation in their favor. The writer of the memo, Lewis Powell, became a Supreme Court Justice and wrote the majority opinion in First National Bank of Boston v. Bellotti, which granted, for the first time, first amendment rights to corporations. Many see this as the beginning of “corporate personhood”, the idea that corporations have the same rights as persons.

For more information on the Powell Memo go to:

Bill Moyers Article on the Powell Memo

Reclaim Democracy Article on the Powell Memo