Well this is an idea I've had since spring this year, and I figure I can put it out there and see what you guys think.

So here's the idea: the incorporated state.

Rather than a future as in 1984 and Brave New World, I believe it is plausible for large states to break down into smaller states that are run by major companies as acting governments. Trade would be established through neutral zones that are used for transport, and basically as slums. This seems plausible to me because of the wealth divisions present between society's classes.

Your thoughts?

If you zoom in too far and give equal government power to too many, its like no one has power and all tiny states do what they want.

Elaborate on your idea.

Judging by the way some company policies are being treated like the law, I wouldn't be suprised if they gained power in this manner. It's an interesting subject. These companies would end up corporatizing everything, so power struggles would resemble competing advertisement campaigns.

Read the book "Feed", it has something similar to this, where corporations take control of everything and act as the government.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feed_(novel)

Hey, that looks like a good read Ash, interesting.

Okay, to elaborate on my idea, it sounds a lot like what's in that novel basically. But I don't mean that government power is "given" to the companies; it's more like they seize power if the government goes bankrupt. From here they would probably establish corporate cities, even buying out other "countries" and taking over their employees/citizens. Is that more clear?

So basically the big companies become governments?

In some respects that would be good, as then supply and demand would be in a sort of MAD state. If one "country" refuses to give their products to another company who in turn supplies them, they would be refuse.

Mmmm....don't think it would happen. The companies would either become "normal" governments, (oligarchy, dictatorship), and lose their production focus, or the system would break down when someone else started producing the same products. If each product was super specialized and super necessary, and no single company controlled too many, then maybe this could happen, if war were removed from the equation. Interesting idea for a novel, though.

Yeah. But tell me, how would for instance public services work? Will one have to buy their right to be protected by the police, kinda like the mobsters do?

As png_pyro has already said, it's going to lose their company character if that happens and it'll turn into some form of platocracy or dictatorship.

And I concour the opinions about the idea, it's quite intriguing.

The United States of America is a corporation.

http://www.chycho.com/?q=The_Corporation