Corporate Political Responsibility with Tom Lyon

Tom Lyon of the University of Michigan, who developed the concept of corporate political responsibility and helped write the Erb Principles for Corporate Political Responsibility, joins host Matteo Gatti of Rutgers Law School on ECGI’s Corporate Power and the Politics of Change to compare two lenses on corporate power: how companies shape the rules through lobbying and political spending, and how they act where the law is silent or slow. The conversation finds that the two reinforce each other, and it makes transparency the common ground, a practical starting point for boards treating political engagement as a strategic issue requiring Transparency and Accountability. (29 min)
 

How to Use It: As outlined in Tom Lyon’s book, Corporate Political Responsibility, Transparency and Accountability are the critical first steps in CPR. These can then prompt more strategic management conversations around Legitimacy and Responsibility, which can then be codified in a company’s Public Affairs Engagement Policy. Use the episode to frame board and public affairs discussions on political engagement. Pair with Principled Influence: A Guide to Strengthening Public Affairs Practices in Polarized Environments to turn that review into policy. A useful test: do your lobbying and political spending match your public commitments?