State-Corporate Crime

State-corporate crime refers to

crimes that are committed through the collusion of states and the corporations that rely on them for financial support. State-corporate crime is similar to and often overlaps with white-collar crime, corporate crime, and state crime, but differs from these because of its explicit focus on the symbiotic relationship that exists in capitalist countries between the state and the corporations that operate under its jurisdiction.

Corporations depend on the state to provide an environment in which to conduct their commercial activities and exploit the markets for profit. Legislation that the state enacts defines the boundaries of what corporations may and may not do to secure their primary interest, which is capital profit. Likewise, capitalist states depend on the financial success of the corporations operating within their borders for their strength and security. If it becomes clear that a corporation is operating in violation of the law to obtain its profits, some elements of the state may believe it's in society's best interest to prosecute and penalize the corporation, and other elements may not. This conflicting interest provides easy opportunity for obstructions of justice - or simply turing a blind eye to crimes that are being committed - and it is in this context that state-corporate crime occurs.