Corporate Republic
Encyclopedia
A corporate republic is a theoretical form of government
occasionally hypothesized in works of science fiction
, though some historical nations such as medieval Florence
might be said to have been governed as corporate republics. While retaining some semblance of republic
an government, a corporate republic would be run primarily like a business, involving a board of directors
and executives
. Utilities
, including hospitals, schools, the army
, and the police force, would be privatized. The social welfare function carried out by the state is instead carried out by corporations in the form of benefits to employees. Although corporate republics do not exist officially in the modern world, they are often used in works of fiction or political commentary
as a warning of the perceived dangers of unbridled capitalism
. In such works, they usually arise when a single, vastly powerful corporation deposes a weak government, over time or in a coup d'état
.
Some political scientists have also considered state socialist nations to be forms of corporate republics; with the state assuming full control of all economic and political life and establishing a monopoly on everything within national boundaries - effectively make the state itself equatable to a giant corporation.
Form of government
A form of government, or form of state governance, refers to the set of political institutions by which a government of a state is organized. Synonyms include "regime type" and "system of government".-Empirical and conceptual problems:...
occasionally hypothesized in works of science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
, though some historical nations such as medieval Florence
Republic of Florence
The Republic of Florence , or the Florentine Republic, was a city-state that was centered on the city of Florence, located in modern Tuscany, Italy. The republic was founded in 1115, when the Florentine people rebelled against the Margraviate of Tuscany upon Margravine Matilda's death. The...
might be said to have been governed as corporate republics. While retaining some semblance of republic
Republic
A republic is a form of government in which the people, or some significant portion of them, have supreme control over the government and where offices of state are elected or chosen by elected people. In modern times, a common simplified definition of a republic is a government where the head of...
an government, a corporate republic would be run primarily like a business, involving a board of directors
Board of directors
A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...
and executives
Corporate title
Publicly and privately held for-profit corporations confer corporate titles or business titles on company officials as a means of identifying their function in the organization...
. Utilities
Utility
In economics, utility is a measure of customer satisfaction, referring to the total satisfaction received by a consumer from consuming a good or service....
, including hospitals, schools, the army
Army
An army An army An army (from Latin arma "arms, weapons" via Old French armée, "armed" (feminine), in the broadest sense, is the land-based military of a nation or state. It may also include other branches of the military such as the air force via means of aviation corps...
, and the police force, would be privatized. The social welfare function carried out by the state is instead carried out by corporations in the form of benefits to employees. Although corporate republics do not exist officially in the modern world, they are often used in works of fiction or political commentary
Political criticism
Political criticism is criticism that is specific of or relevant to politics, including policies, politicians, political parties, and types of government.-Controversy:...
as a warning of the perceived dangers of unbridled capitalism
Capitalism
Capitalism is an economic system that became dominant in the Western world following the demise of feudalism. There is no consensus on the precise definition nor on how the term should be used as a historical category...
. In such works, they usually arise when a single, vastly powerful corporation deposes a weak government, over time or in a coup d'état
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
.
Some political scientists have also considered state socialist nations to be forms of corporate republics; with the state assuming full control of all economic and political life and establishing a monopoly on everything within national boundaries - effectively make the state itself equatable to a giant corporation.
Corporate Republic in Popular Culture
- In the turn-based strategy game Civilization: Call to PowerCivilization: Call to PowerCivilization: Call to Power is a PC turn-based strategy game developed by Activision as a successor to the extremely successful Civilization computer game by Sid Meier. It was ported to Linux by Loki Software....
, a corporate republic is one of the futuristic governmentGovernmentGovernment refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
types available in the Genetic Age. - ShinraShinraShinra may refer to:*Shinra Electric Power Company, a fictional company in Final Fantasy VII*Rufus Shinra, a character in Final Fantasy VII*Shinra, a minor character in Final Fantasy X-2*Shinra, a character in Ikaruga...
, one of the antagonists in the RPGRole-playing gameA role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
Final Fantasy VIIFinal Fantasy VIIis a role-playing video game developed by Square and published by Sony Computer Entertainment as the seventh installment in the Final Fantasy series. It was originally released in 1997 for the Sony PlayStation and was re-released in 1998 for Microsoft Windows-based personal computers and in 2009...
could be considered an example of a corporate republic due to its encompassing scope and massive power in planet affairs. - Max BarryMax BarryMax Barry is a contemporary Australian author. He also maintains a blog on various topics, including writing, marketing and politics...
's 2003 novel Jennifer GovernmentJennifer GovernmentJennifer Government is a novel written by Max Barry. Published in 2003, it is Barry's second novel, following 1999's Syrup. The novel is set in a dystopian alternate reality in which most nations are dominated by for-profit corporate entities while the government's political power is extremely...
portrays a world in which government has been privatised as have all its functions.
See also
- CorporatocracyCorporatocracyCorporatocracy, in social theories that focus on conflicts and opposing interests within society, denotes a system of government that serves the interest of, and may be run by, corporations and involves ties between government and business...
- Banana republicBanana republicIn political science, the pejorative term Banana Republic denotes a politically unstable country dependent upon limited primary productions , which is ruled by a plutocracy, a small, self-elected, wealthy group who exploit the country by means of a politico-economic oligarchy...
- Lanfang RepublicLanfang RepublicThe Lanfang Republic was a Chinese state in West Kalimantan in Indonesia that was established by a Hakka Chinese named Low Lan Pak in 1777, until it was ended by Dutch occupation in 1884 .The sultans of...
- originated as a corporation before becoming a nation.