Below is the rubric used in compiling data for what became “High School Civics Textbooks: What We Know Versus What We Teach about American Politics and Public Policy,” Journal of Political Science Education 11, no. 3 (2015), 1-19.
Corporations and Governments Textbook rubric
By David Menefee-Libey — Jan 23, 2014 revision, Feb 20, 2014 renumbering
How to use this rubric:
- For each text reviewed, start a new MSWord file, and paste the contents of this file starting at the double line below.
- Save the file using the following as the template for the file’s name: LEAD AUTHOR LAST NAME, SHORT TITLE OF BOOK, EDITION, YEAR as in: Power&Purpose.13th.2013.doC4. (no spaces!)
- Use the pasted material as the skeleton and fill in the entire rubric, inserting content under each underlined heading below. (The D1, G5, C4, etc. notations in front of the headings are aids for my analysis of your content.)
- When filling in the rubric, insert page number of quoted text before the text quoted. If a quotation continues from one page of the text to the next, place a double slash // at the break, as in: 261 This is the last line on the page that I want to quote, //262 but the quote continues on the next page.
- Repetition is not a problem: if the same text content responds to more than one rubric prompt, duplicate it.
AUTHOR of this report:
Full book citation: Author(s), title, edition (place: publisher, year)
D1: Specific definition(s) of “corporation” in text or glossary?
Note whether the definition mentions/covers these topics (Y/N and quote):
D2: Corporate charters, and what government issues the charters
D3: Legal personhood
D3: Legal rights
D3: Potentially perpetual life, or life that can outlast those who own it
D3: Flexible purpose (that is, that the corporation can go on to engage in different activities from those it started with)?
D4: Limited liability
D5: Sale of shares?
D6: Management/shareholder separation?
D7, D8: Types of corporations (does the text distinguish business corporations from non-profit corporations from government corporations?)
Read the text’s chapter/s on the U.S. Constitution and answer:
G1a: Does the text note the constitutional authority of the federal government to organize and regulate the economy and commerce? Does the text describe patterns in how the feds do that? Does the text note impacts of these activities on private businesses or corporations?
G1b: Does the text note the constitutional authority of the states to regulate commerce and business? Does the text describe patterns in how states do that? Does the text note impacts of these activities on private businesses or corporations?
Read the text’s chapter/s on Economics and/or Economic Policy and answer:
G1: Does the text say that governments help to organize the economy, create rules for its operations? If so, does the text specifically mention positive or negative effects of these activities on businesses, or especially on corporations?
G1b: Does the text distinguish between the activities of the national/federal government and state governments in organizing or regulating the economy? If so, does the text specifically mention positive or negative effects of these activities on businesses, or especially on corporations?
C1: Conversely, does the text mention positive or negative effects of businesses’ or corporation’s economic activity on the U.S. economy, on the U.S. government, or on U.S. office-holders?
G2: Does the text specifically mention laws that enable corporations to operate, or that treat corporations differently from other kinds of business organizations?
G5: Does the text say that governments contract with businesses or corporations for goods and services? (That is, that they buy things from businesses.)
G5a: Does the text mention “privatization”?
C4: Does the text say that businesses or corporations seek contracts with governments to sell them goods and services?
G4: Does the text mention ways governments assist or subsidize businesses or corporations?
G3a: Does the text mention government taxation of businesses, and especially government taxation of corporations?
G3b: Does the text mention government regulation of businesses, and especially government regulation of corporations? Does the text describe this as having generally positive or negative effects on businesses or corporations, or as having mixed effects?
G3c: Does the text describe government regulation of businesses as having gone through historical periods or stages?
Read the book’s chapter/s on International or Foreign policy and answer:
G1c: Does the text describe economic dimensions of U.S. foreign policy: trade, protection of American businesses abroad, etc?
G1c: Does the text describe U.S. international economic policies as having gone through historical periods or stages?
G1c: Does the text note effects of these policies on businesses, or corporations in particular, or even multinational corporations in particular?
C2: Conversely, does the text mention efforts by businesses, corporations, or multinational corporations to influence U.S. foreign policy?
Read the book’s chapter on Congress and answer:
G1: Does the text mention Congress’s role in organizing and sustaining the national economy, creating rules for its operations? If so, does the text specifically mention positive or negative effects of these activities on businesses, or especially on corporations?
G2: Does the text specifically mention Congress enacting laws relating to corporations?
G5: Does the text describe efforts by members of Congress to win government contracts for businesses or corporations?
G4: Does the text describe efforts by members of Congress to enact tax breaks, subsidies, grants, or loans to businesses or corporations?
G3: Does the text describe actions by Congress to regulate or mandate specific behavior by businesses or corporations?
G1c: Does the text describe actions by Congress to shape foreign or international policy affecting trade or protecting American businesses or corporations abroad?
C4: Does the text describe efforts by businesses or corporations to win contracts from governments?
C3: Does the text describe efforts by businesses or corporations to support their preferred election outcomes by recruiting, endorsing, advertising for, or contributing money to candidates or campaigns, or by contacting voters (directly or through PACs and other groups)?
C3a: Does the text make any mention of the “revolving door,” or other descriptions of business/corporate employees moving to or from government positions?
C2: Does the text describe efforts by businesses or corporations to influence public policy or legislation by lobbying, publishing research, advertising to the public, etc?
C2: Does the text describe efforts by businesses or corporations to gain tax breaks, subsidies, grants, or loans from governments?
Read the book’s chapter on interest groups and answer:
C4: Does the text describe efforts by businesses or corporations to win contracts from governments?
C3: Does the text describe efforts by businesses or corporations to support their preferred election outcomes by recruiting, endorsing, advertising for, or contributing money to candidates or campaigns, or by contacting voters (directly or through PACs and other groups)?
C3a: Does the text make any mention of the “revolving door,” or other descriptions of business/corporate employees moving to or from government positions?
C2: Does the text describe efforts by businesses or corporations to influence public policy or legislation by lobbying, publishing research, advertising to the public, etc?
C2: Does the text describe efforts by businesses or corporations to gain tax breaks, subsidies, grants, or loans from governments?
Does the book have a chapter on campaigns and elections? If so, read and answer:
C3: Does the text describe efforts by businesses or corporations to support their preferred election outcomes by recruiting, endorsing, advertising for, or contributing money to candidates or campaigns, or by contacting voters (directly or through PACs and other groups)?