This course will examine changes over time to the ways in which Americans have organized themselves for economic activities. The course focuses on historical developments resulting from and affecting transformations in American businesses. Major themes include the increasing consolidation of business activity in the modern firm, the effort to balance centralized managerial control with decentralized entrepreneurship, the effects of technological change on business activity and structure, the government’s effects on the business environment, and the social response to the growing influence of business institutions.