This 1985 book offers a critical examination of the impact of the National Labor Relations Act on American unions.

Editor's preface; Preface; Part I. The Legitimacy of the Labor Union: Introduction: 'Labor's ultimatum to the public'; 1. The corporate political economy; 2. Law, labor, and ideology; 3. From conspiracy to collective bargaining; Part II. Labor and the Liberal State: Introduction: 'Who bears the business risks'; 4. The New Deal collective bargaining policy; 5. A legal discourse; 6. Utopians and technocrats; Part III. 'Lie Down Like Good Dogs': Introduction: responsible unionism; 7. The road to Taft-Hartley; 8. The Taft-Hartley Act; 9. The state and the unions; Bibliographical essay; Index.