Abstract: The writings of John Maurice Clark provide one of the largest bodies of work by an institutionalist concerned with the question of social control in today's society. Indeed there is a remarkable unity of theme and purpose running throughout most of Clark's works with respect to the question of social control. These theme begins to emerge as early as 1906 and 1910 with his master's thesis and doctoral dissertation at Columbia University. However, because of Clark's preference for writing in a muted fashion the nature of his contribution is not always sufficiently recognized. The reconstruction in economic thinking that Clark sought throughout his lifetime has not yet been accomplished, in large measure because the extent and depth of his contribution require such thorough going changes in the patterns of standard economic though. His work on overhead costs, in demonstrating that cost was an ambiguous item instead of a datum on a balance sheet, concluded that in order to examine economic phenomena one must examine the social forces involved. These social forces included those of law and custom; the various types of voluntary organizations involved, such as the trade union, farm, and consumer organizations; and the several spheres of public influence through governmental action.

　　Subjects: INDUSTRIAL concentration; ASSOCIATIONS, institutions, etc.; CORPORATE governance; CONSUMER cooperatives; OVERHEAD costs; ECONOMICS -- Sociological aspects; Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers; SOCIAL control; AUTHORS; CLARK, John Maurice