Local political action committees aren’t the only players in the municipal elections- businesses also have a vested interest in who runs what. The political clout of corporations goes far back and the private sector has helped anoint many a king – locally and at the national level. Recently we’ve seen President Obama turn to business for help jump-starting the economy. And many in the administration hope that Obama’s new Chief of Staff—Chicago businessman Bill Daley—will bring the board room to the White House.

But how much power should corporate America wield? And how did they get so much in the first place? To help sort out the relationship between big business and politics, Eight Forty-Eight spoke with DePaul University economics professor Thomas Mondschean.