completely undeserved air of legitimacy. For one, its name makes it sound as though it‘s actually an extension of the federal government, rather than what it is: a lobbying group representing a variety of trade interests.

It also gains unearned legitimacy by its name being a reflection of thousands of local chambers of commerce, which are far more representative of its members than the national version. The US Chamber of Commerce continues to push for legislation and regulation that isn‘t aligned with the views of its membership as a whole, but rather just its most generous contributors.