Semester of Graduation

Spring 2026

Degree

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

History

Document Type

Thesis

Abstract

These two projects focus on the rise of business communities in twentieth century politics of the South and how they shaped national visions of the United States’ economic future. Chapter 1, a primary source project about how labor violence led to a Right-to-Work law, examines the actions of the La. AFL-CIO, led by Victor Bussie, and the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry, led by Edward Steimel, as they pursue alternate visions of economic progress and the “American way.” A major theme of this chapter is how violence was manipulated and refashioned to legitimize a lobbying organization and legislation intended to weaken the strength of organized labor. Chapter 2,  a historiography paper about the role of business in shaping contemporary politics, sets the stage for Chapter 1 by showing the variety of twentieth century business groups across the country who shaped acceptance of free market ideology, debunked liberalism’s successes, and argued for individual over collective uplift for the working class. Together, my hope is that this thesis will unveil insights about our modern debates of economic freedom and nuances of current party politics.

Date

4-15-2026

Committee Chair

Long, Alecia P

LSU Acknowledgement

1

LSU Accessibility Acknowledgment

1

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