Attention, Shoppers! American Retail Capitalism and the Origins of the Amazon Economy

In this work, Kathleen Thelen traces the origins and evolution of American retail capitalism since the late 19th century, as large-scale retailers capitalized on the permissive regulatory landscape of the American political economy to outgrow the capacity of the government to regulate them. Thelen's account focuses on features of the legal context, in particular a uniquely congenial competition regime, and on the impact of a fragmented regulatory landscape that invited regulatory arbitrage and outright rule-breaking. As they grew, America's large retailers were able to assemble an ever-growing political support coalition that could be weaponized to head off the regulatory efforts they faced.