ReportCenter for Political Accountability

Corporate Underwriters: Where the Rubber Hits the Road

2024
https://www.politicalaccountability.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Corporate-Underwriters-Where-the-Rubber-Hits-the-Road.pdf

This report reveals that since 2010, U.S. corporations and trade associations have contributed over $1 billion—more than 40% of total funds—to six influential "527" political organizations, significantly impacting state-level elections and policies, often in ways that conflict with their publicly stated values and pose reputational risks. 

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VideoCorporate Political Responsibility Taskforce
Why it is Difficult to Act on CPR
2024
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VideoCorporate Political Responsibility Taskforce
Actions Companies Can Take
2023
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ArticleBipartisan Policy Center
AI and Ethics: Issue Brief
Bipartisan Policy Center, 2023

This policy brief outlines the challenges of AI implementation and dissemination through various sectors of society, and provides policy recommendations for how to protect privacy, safety and ethics as AI adoption grows.

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ReportThe Conference Board
Avoiding the Tragedy of the Commons
2023

This report addresses the impact of increased political polarization and decreased trust in government, which has resulted in policy differences that affect long-term business planning. To take initiative, companies should rethink their approach to PAC giving and lobbying to support bipartisanship, systemic change, and a positive social impact. 

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ArticleBCG Henderson Institute
Breaking the Vicious Cycle of Corporate Entanglement
Martinez, et al, 2023

This note acknowledges the increased pressure on business to engage in politics and counsels corporate restraint.

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ReportBusiness for America
Business Perspectives on Political Backlash
2023

To better understand how businesses are navigating this toxic political environment, Business for America (BFA) surveyed more than 50 business leaders across the country and sectors, from Fortune 500 executives to small business owners. The report reveals widespread concern about escalating political backlash, highlighting the difficult balance companies face between stakeholder demands and risks like boycotts, speech restrictions, and regulatory threats.

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VideoCorporate Political Responsibility Taskforce
Common Areas of Misalignment
2023
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VideoCorporate Political Responsibility Taskforce
Common Areas of Misalignment
2023
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ReportClimate Governance Initiative
Corporate climate policy engagement: A briefing for board directors
2023

Conducting corporate climate policy engagement positively and appropriately is critical to creating the conditions that will enable a company to achieve its net zero transition.  This briefing, produced by the Climate Governance Initiative in collaboration with the global think tank InfluenceMap, highlights the key issues that board directors should be aware of.  

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BookErb Corporate Political Responsibility Taskforce
Corporate Political Responsibility
Tom P. Lyon, 2023

An overview of the need for CPR and how the Erb Institute’s Corporate Political Responsibility Taskforce supports companies in aligning their approaches to political influence with their commitments to purpose, values, sustainability and stakeholders, while contributing to rebuilding trust in US civic institutions. 

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ArticleProMarket
Corporate Political Responsibility in a Captured Economy
Claudine Schneider and Ed Dolan, 2023

This article argues that corporate governance need to take account of a company's political responsibility and that the Erb Principles provide a helpful framework for doing so. 

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VideoCorporate Political Responsibility Taskforce
Corporate Political Responsibility: From Theory to Action
2023
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ArticleFortune
Corporations were never supposed to write the rules
Maureen Kline, 2023

This article argues that "corporations were never supposed to write the rules of the game. Now they need to help make them better for capitalism to survive."

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VideoCorporate Political Responsibility Taskforce
Could a Voluntary System Really Make a Difference?
2023
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WebsiteHarvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance
CPA’s Guide to Corporate Political Spending: A Practical Guide for Management
Bruce F. Freed, Jeanne Hanna, Karl J. Sandstrom, Center for Political Accountability, 2023

This post summarizes the Center for Political Accountability’s Guide to Corporate Political Spending, which provides best practices for implementing the CPA-Zicklin Model Code. The Model Code identifies a company’s broader societal and democracy obligations and responsibilities that should govern its political spending decisions. This new Guide spells out what concrete steps and actions management should follow as it makes spending decisions and evaluates the accompanying risks. 

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VideoCorporate Political Responsibility Taskforce
Culture Wars, Backlash and the Current Political Climate
2023
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VideoCorporate Political Responsibility Taskforce
Determining When it is Legitimate to Engage
2023
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ToolDebevoise & Plimpton
ESG Investigations Tracker
2023

This tracker provides an overview of federal and state investigations into corporate ESG practices, highlighting lawsuits over misleading ESG claims by firms like BlackRock, government probes requesting information from asset managers and climate organizations, and legislative efforts aimed at limiting ESG considerations in investing. It offers essential insight into the shifting legal and reputational risks companies face in ESG governance.

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WebsiteIGC Institute
Executive Guide to Navigating Our Complex Political, Social and Economic Environment
2023

This guide provides a good overview of how the current environment developed for companies and some tips that business leaders can use to navigate through the conflicting pressures.

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ReportHarvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance
Financial Implications of Rising Political Risk in the US
Stephen Davis, 2023

This report explores the financial impacts of growing political instability in the U.S., emphasizing how shifts in policy and governance affect corporate decision-making, risk assessment, and long-term value. It outlines the importance of aligning business strategies with evolving political landscapes to protect financial interests. 

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