The New Rules of Political Spending Oversight

What It Is: A June 2026 Directors & Boards article documenting how corporate political spending oversight has shifted from a government-relations function to a board-level governance priority, citing the CPA-Zicklin Index's tracking of disclosure and accountability practices at major public companies. 

Why It Matters: Companies rated "trendsetters" for political spending disclosure and board oversight grew from 28 to 112 over the past decade — a 400% increase — reflecting a shift toward Accountability and Transparency achieved through "private ordering" (companies self-regulating) rather than government mandate. 

How to Use It: Use this to benchmark your company's political spending policy against the CPA-Zicklin Index and more recent Framework, and to make the case to your board that comprehensive oversight is now mainstream practice.