Government Policy and Corporate Strategy

Uncle Sam meets Big Business

 

Government-business relations and corporate strategy are major strengths of Hagley's research collections. Our collections document the strategic decisions made by businesses and trade associations. They provide details of initiatives in operations, research and development, marketing, and lobbying. Explore the wins and setbacks of these efforts via Hagley's unique holdings.

Subject Strengths

     
National business organizations
 

Hagley holds the records of America’s four major national business associations. These collections offer almost limitless research opportunities on national and international business practices. These include:

  • Chamber of Commerce of the United States
  • The Conference Board
  • National Association of Manufacturers
  • National Foreign Trade Council
 
Trade associations
  

Gain insight into individual business sectors through the records of industry-wide associations. Hagley preserves materials from:

  • American Iron and Steel Institute
  • International Housewares Association
  • Associated General Contractors of America
  • Industrial Designers Society of America
  • National Automobile Dealers Association
  • Insurance & Financial Communicators Association
  • National Negro Licensed Beverage Association
  • National Industrial Distributors' Association
  • Gunpowder Trade Association
  • WorldAutoSteel
 
Government publications
  

Revisit major moments in government-business clashes of the twentieth century. Hagley gathers key government publications related to business practices and preserves legal documents from cases involving bankruptcies, reorganizations, and patent disputes. Check out the Wheeler Report on railroad consolidation, the Nye Committee Report on the World War I munitions industry, or the Taft-Hartley Act hearings.
Antitrust and court records  

Hagley preserves records related to antitrust lawsuits and other significant court cases. Examples include:

  • U.S. and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) versus AT&T
  • MCI Communications Corporation versus AT&T
  • IBM antitrust suit
  • DuPont - General Motors antitrust proceedings
 
Perspectives on 
policy and events
  

Individual corporate records at Hagley document business-government relations from many perspectives. Delve into how government regulations have shaped labor relations, workplace safety, civil rights, and environmental policies. Examine the development of the military-industrial complex, the expansion of defense programs, weapons procurement, and the rise of the national security state.

 
Advocacy and non-profit 
organizations
  

Hagley collects advocacy and non-profit records connected to the history of American enterprise. Prominent organizations represented include the Pew Charitable Trust, the Institute for Financial Literacy, Women's Organization for National Prohibition Reform (WONPR), and Catalyst Inc.

"Blueprint for American Strategy" brochure from the National Association of Manufacturers, circa 1961 (Acc. 1411).

  

Research guides

Learn more about our collections relating to government policy and corporate strategy history.

Business and the State

 

 

 

 

 

Explore Further

Selected digital resources related to government policy and corporate strategy history at Hagley.

 

National Association of Manufacturers collections

National Automobile Dealers Association audiovisual materials and publications

Nation’s Business magazine

Enron Corp. board records collection

Charles Brelsford McCoy papers

Conference Board audio recordings (available on-site at Hagley)

Catalyst, Inc. processing project news

National Association of Manufacturers project news

 

  

Cover of Nation's Business magazine in support of NAFTA, 1992 December (Call number f HF1 .N38).

 

Top image credits (left to right): Detail of "The Shot that Will Win the War" World War I poster from National Association of Manufacturers, 1918 (Acc. 1973.418). "Better Government" meeting at U.S. Chamber of Commerce, 1956 (Acc. 1993.230). "This is DuPont: The Story of Taxes" cover, 1957 (Call number f HD9651.9.D94 A5). "Women of Color in Corporate Management: Three Years Later" report cover from Catalyst, Inc., 2002 (Acc. 2728).