is big business good or bad for american society and the american people?

Answer 1

big business as in monopoly is always bad cause it always stifles competition!

Answer 2

Its not an either/or situation. There are two factors (actually there's a lot--but I think these are central) to consider.

a) What are teh advantages/disadvantages. Some products--cars, for example--ae very expensive to produce in small numbers--you really need a large operation to be cost-effective. On the other hand, size desn't necessarily have enough of a payoff to make the negative effects worthwhile. for example, a superstore chain like WalMart provides modest price advantages for consumers (thhough these are far less than they claim--or their customers imagine they are getting). But the cost is loss of local stores, disruption of communities--and relatively good-paying jobs being replaced by low-wage jobs. And--some businesses (e.g. clothing--are often MORE costly if dominated by large corporations.

b) corporate ethics/responsibility/influence. Some large corporations (e.g. Warren Buffet's companies) have a high ethical standard. Others-like Enron--would make a pirate blush with embarassment. Or consider the current situation in Congress. Here we have a bill that would require (over about a 10 year period) an increase in care fuel efficincy from 17 to 34 mpg. The technology to do this is there--and would not add much to the price of new cars; nor would it place US automakers at a disadvantage--because foreign firms must comply as well. And--this has three major benefits--lower fuel costs--which will benefit consumers, a drastic reduction in our dependance on foreign oil, and of ccourse a sharp reduction in polllution, especially CO2 emissions. Yet this step is being opposed-almost hysterically so-by the oil companies--and their opposition isn't limited to legal lobbying or other legal means, either.

My point--large corporations have a place. So do small oes. But--we MUST get back to a high standard of corporate ethics and we can and should demand a higher degree of restraint on corporate influence where it is not appropriate and is not in the public or national interest.

Answer 3

Both. Like many things, it has it's good points and bad points. Big business provides many of the goods and services that we need and provides many jobs for people. The negative is that, at times, big business can abuse it's power (ie Enron). Big business is not all good and not all bad. Any country that wants to be financially successful needs big business. You can not fuel an economy exclusively on "mom and pop" businesses. Simple economics 101.

Answer 4

Corporations in the United States pay little taxes due to Corporate Welfare, tax incentives, creative accounting/tax shelters and off shore headquarters.
Corporations, even when they get tax incentives, write-offs and tax cuts, still have sent Millions of American jobs to Mexico, Honduras, Indonesia, China, Bangladesh and India.
Corporations managed in secrecy the creation of "Free Trade" agreements (NAFTA, CAFTA, GATT and MFNS for China) and even an undemocratic governing body (WTO) that supercedes sovereign governments!

Corporate behavior has been great for Wall Street and punishing for Main Steet.

Answer 5

It can be either one - depends on the business, how it's run, how it "behaves" as a corporate citizen. Business provide jobs, goods, services - they make a huge contribution to the economy. But if they're run unethically, it can harm the employees, the consumer, the environment.

Answer 6

Let's see. What do I enjoy using that comes from big business:

My cars, my computers, my computer's OS, the food I buy from grocers, the great stuff I buy cheaply from Walmart and Costco, my flat screen Sony TV, my prescription medicines, the electricity flowing to my house, the fuel to drive my cars, the light bulbs in my house, etc., etc., etc.

I guess Richard V, above, is a pauper who doesn't partake of any of the above benefits afforded to us by big business.

Answer 7

Research shows, as bigger a company is, as less it is productive for its society. Our system is held up by small and mid size companies, which are not subsidized, have no lobbyists in Washington and employ real people.

Answer 8

a big bussiness creates many jobs. it supports many other businesses by buying many types of products and services that it needs. they do not necessarily stifle competition. there are multitudes of competing businesses in this country. just watch the financial news.

Answer 9

I've made a lot of money in the stock market from big business, so i like it.

Answer 10

Some businesses need to be big to operate efficiently: Gas companies, electric companies, chemical plants, telephone companies, etc. I wouldn't want to be without any of them!

Answer 11

Big business gives america its economic ededge.