The transnational capitalist class and global politics: deconstructing the corporate-state connection

Transnational corporations (tncs) engage in a variety of political activities that take place at all levels of the political sphere, from community and urban through national to global politics, and involve many different groups of actors. This article addresses two sets of questions: (1) What forms do these activities take? (2) Do they enhance or undermine democracy? The systemic organization of politics for global capitalism is conceptualized in terms of a transnational capitalist class (tcc). The role of this class is analyzed through three brief case studies: Codex Alimentarius, the Multilateral Agreement on Investment, and the global tobacco industry.