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Not by structure alone: power, prominence, and agency in American finance

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  • Young, Kevin

Abstract

I examine the challenges of conceptualization and measurement of structural power when the differential power of industries or individual firms are in question. While ascertaining structural power's operation at this level can be very challenging, I point to some issues of conceptualization and measurement that can enhance our analytic leverage at the initial stages of the research process. Specifically I propose a more refined language of “structural prominence” to differentiate between the expected causes of structural power from its hypothesized effects. Using a variety of data I show that researchers have some simple tools at their disposal but must pay careful attention to basic logical inferential limitations when examining structural power arguments. Through an examination of firms’ reactions to policy proposals in US securities regulation I find positive evidence for structural power operating in initial policy proposals. When I examine levels of preference attainment in the policymaking process itself, structural power appears to be playing a weaker and more conditional role. I also find that the preference attainment of firms is greatest when structural and instrumental forces operate in conjunction, a finding supportive of recent research in this area.

Suggested Citation

  • Young, Kevin, 2015. "Not by structure alone: power, prominence, and agency in American finance," Business and Politics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 17(3), pages 443-472, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:cup:buspol:v:17:y:2015:i:03:p:443-472_00
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    Cited by:

    1. Culpepper Pepper D., 2015. "Structural power and political science in the post-crisis era," Business and Politics, De Gruyter, vol. 17(3), pages 391-409, October.
    2. Winecoff William Kindred, 2015. "Structural power and the global financial crisis: a network analytical approach," Business and Politics, De Gruyter, vol. 17(3), pages 495-525, October.
    3. Cooiman, Franziska, 2022. "Imprinting the economy: The structural power of venture capital," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, issue OnlineFir, pages 1-1.
    4. Nana de Graaff & Diliara Valeeva, 2021. "Emerging Sino–European Corporate Elite Networks," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 52(5), pages 1147-1173, September.
    5. Baines, Joseph & Hager, Sandy Brian, 2022. "From Passive Owners to Planet Savers? Asset Managers, Carbon Majors and the Limits of Sustainable Finance," EconStor Preprints 249674, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics.
    6. Albina Gibadullina, 2024. "Who owns and controls global capital? Uneven geographies of asset manager capitalism," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 56(2), pages 558-585, March.
    7. Franziska Cooiman, 2024. "Imprinting the economy: The structural power of venture capital," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 56(2), pages 586-602, March.
    8. Florence Dafe & Rebecca Elisabeth Husebye Engebretsen, 2023. "Tussle for space: The politics of mock‐compliance with global financial standards in developing countries," Regulation & Governance, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 17(2), pages 328-345, April.

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