The West Wing

Business Community

Description

Secretary Bryce warns President Bartlet three times that the business community—a coalition of economic stakeholders—risks pulling support over environmental policies, greenhouse-gas rules, and related decisions. He positions them as a vital constituency whose backing hinges on policy balance, using the threat to argue for exemptions and concessions in Oval Office debates.

Event Involvements

Events with structured involvement data

3 events
S4E1 · 20 Hours in America Part I
Weinberger Leak — Bartlet Draws a Moral Line

The business community is invoked by Secretary Bryce as a threatened constituency whose support could be lost over environmental rules; it functions as a political pressure group shaping Commerce's brief to the President.

Active Representation

Referenced indirectly through Secretary Bryce's warnings about support and influence.

Power Dynamics

Exerts external political pressure on the administration through the threat of withdrawing support and leverage over economic narratives.

Institutional Impact

The invocation of the business community reveals the administration's balancing act between environmental policy and economic politics.

Organizational Goals
Protect business interests from perceived regulatory harm. Influence policy to preserve competitiveness and profits.
Influence Mechanisms
Political advocacy and lobbying. Threat of withdrawing campaign or public support.
S4E1 · 20 Hours in America Part I
The Presidential Rebuff: Bryce, Greenhouse Exemptions, and the Assertion of Authority

The 'Business Community' is invoked by Secretary Bryce as a political force whose support may be jeopardized by environmental rules; it functions as the pressure point motivating Bryce's plea and as a shorthand for economic political risk.

Active Representation

Represented through Secretary Bryce's warning and argument that business will withdraw support.

Power Dynamics

Exerts indirect political leverage over the President via cabinet advocacy and implied funding/support consequences; here it is being used as a bargaining chip against regulatory ambition.

Institutional Impact

Highlights the tension between regulatory ambition and economic stakeholders; pressures presidential staff to consider political fallout of environmental policy.

Internal Dynamics

Not depicted in detail; implied unified interest in preserving business-friendly exemptions.

Organizational Goals
Preserve favorable regulatory conditions for industry Avoid policy changes that could disrupt competitiveness or profits
Influence Mechanisms
Political pressure through cabinet advocacy Threat (implicit) of withdrawing support or creating political consequences
S4E1 · 20 Hours in America Part I
Handshake and Hard Lessons: Bartlet Welcomes Congressman Lien

The business community is invoked by Secretary Bryce as a constituency at risk should the administration pursue strict unilateral greenhouse measures; it functions as the political pressure Bryce claims to be defending.

Active Representation

Represented indirectly through Secretary Bryce's advocacy and warning about potential withdrawal of support.

Power Dynamics

External pressure group that can signal or withhold political and financial support; claims leverage over administration policy, but is challenged by the President's moral framing.

Institutional Impact

Their implied leverage forces cabinet-level appeals and tests presidential resolve on balancing economic and environmental priorities.

Internal Dynamics

Implicit tension between business short-term interests and broader national/international policy imperatives.

Organizational Goals
Preserve economic competitiveness for its members. Influence policy to avoid burdensome unilateral environmental constraints.
Influence Mechanisms
Political pressure and potential withdrawal of support. Economic argumentation framed through Commerce as a channel to the President.