The New Entrepreneurial Advocacy: Silicon Valley Elites in American Politics

Abstract

The role of business in the American political system has always stirred emotions. Contemporary evidence of the clear and growing disparities in wealth between ordinary citizens and business elites has drawn new attention to this topic. Recently, the canon on the activities of business elites in politics has grown, as we have learned a great deal about how business firms and their ultra-wealthy leaders and investors seek to exert political influence. This book examines one form of business elite activity that has thus far received surprisingly little scholarly attention despite the high-profile political efforts of billionaire businesspeople such as Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg. Specifically, the book examines what we call the new entrepreneurial advocacy. Where previous work focuses on a cross section of either the wealthiest Americans or the largest firms in the United States, this book takes a deep dive into the political activities of a single yet pivotal cohort: the founders and CEOs of Silicon Valley firms. Leveraging a vast range of unique data sets—spanning the political donations of firms and their leaders; the local, state, and Washington lobbying of Silicon Valley firms; the social media and media commentary of Silicon Valley CEOs and founders; and the role of elites in supporting and founding new political organizations—this book shines a light on the role of this important set of elites in contemporary American political life.