ReportBipartisan Policy Center

Parties and Electoral Reform: Insights from Political Operatives

J.D. Rackey & Lily Kincannon, 2026

https://bipartisanpolicy.org/report/parties-and-electoral-reform-insights-from-political-operatives/

What It Is: A July 2026 Bipartisan Policy Center report by J.D. Rackey and Lily Kincannon, based on 12 in-depth interviews with Republican and Democratic political operatives (analyzed via qualitative coding), examining how party insiders actually view their role in primaries and which electoral reforms they believe would or wouldn't strengthen political parties.

Why It Matters: The findings are concrete and counterintuitive: every operative interviewed said party organizations exist to win elections, not to shape ideology, and most were skeptical that reforms like ranked-choice voting or nonpartisan primaries would meaningfully improve trust — favoring instead reforms that strengthen parties' own fundraising and organizing capacity. Useful in considering the Responsibility Principle and support for constitutional democracy..

How to Use It: Consider these perspectives in discussions with government-affairs or corporate PAC team about electoral-reform policy priorities or positions.

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ArticleThe Erb Institute CPR Taskforce

South Africa: A Case Example of Corporate Political Responsibility in Polarized Times

Patricia McLagan, 2024

Patricia McLagan is an author, consultant, and business owner with fifty years’ experience supporting large scale change processes in business and governments globally. From 1983 through 2004, Pat consulted with major South African businesses, government entities, universities, and parastatals, and chaired the Desmond Tutu Peace Foundation after returning to the US. This article draws on her personal experience with South African businesses and government entities from 1983 into the 2010s, focusing on what some white South African business leaders did in a time of polarization and potential civil war.

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ArticleMilken Institute Review

Taking Net Zero Seriously

Tim Brennan, 2024

This article examines two methods for pricing carbon – the first based on estimating the “social cost of carbon” for current and future generations, and the second based on mandating limits and using a permit system to meet them. Argues for a fixed limit based on tipping points, and points to the challenges of political coordination required to adopt it, and the potential for technology to make that easier.

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VideoCorporate Political Responsibility Taskforce

The Business Case for CPR

Angeli Patel with the Berkeley Center for Law and Business, 2024

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ReportThe Erb Institute CPR Taskforce

The Erb Principles for CPR: What People are Saying

2024

Comments from business leaders, academics, civil society organizations and others commenting how the Erb Principles for Corporate Political Responsibility can help with managing risk, sustaining market economies, strengthening civic institutions and enabling long-term value for business and society.

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Report Cambridge University Press

The Fading Light of Democratic Capitalism

Malcolm S. Salter, 2024

This work examines how global capitalism’s democratic foundations are eroding, as inequality, institutional decay, policy capture and corporate dominance erode democratic legitimacy. It argues that corporate-state relations and market structures shape democratic outcomes and that without attention to power, voice and influence, business risks operating in unstable systems of diminishing legitimacy.

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VideoCorporate Political Responsibility Taskforce

The Future of Trade Associations & Sustainability Policy

Renee Henze of IFF and Nathan Sell of the ACI, 2024

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ReportBoston College Law Review

The New Corporate Political Governance

Tom C. W. Lin, 2024

This paper examines how the intersection of corporate governance and political engagement is reshaping business strategies and societal impact. It explores how factors like ESG investing, corporate activism, and political changes are pushing businesses into social issues, complicating the roles of shareholders vs. stakeholders, and blurring the lines between private and public power. The author offers new models for businesses and policymakers to navigate these evolving dynamics.

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ArticleIMD

The Nonmarket Sustainability Advantage

Michael Yaziji & David Bach, 2024

What It Is: An article laying out a structured "nonmarket strategy" framework — analysis, strategy formulation, capacity building, feasibility checks, and implementation — for how companies should engage with regulators, activists, and public opinion alongside their core market strategy.

Why It Matters: The authors provide detailed cases that show the risks and best practices, that impact a company's social license to operate — arguing that nonmarket engagement isn't a side activity but a core determinant of whether a company's social license to operate holds.

How to Use It: Use the five-stage framework (analysis, strategy, capacity, feasibility, implementation) as a working checklist when developing or auditing your organization's own nonmarket/public affairs strategy, while also considering safeguards, such as those in our Principled Influence: A Guide to Strengthening Public Affairs Practices in Polarized Environments.

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ReportPotential Energy Coalition

The Return on Responsibility: Re-framing Corporate Climate Messaging

2024

This guide offers companies a research-backed climate communication strategy that emphasizes materiality over morality—framing climate action as a business necessity, not just ethical responsibility. Drawing on extensive surveys and focus groups from the US and abroad, it outlines how to connect with skeptical audiences by stressing the concrete, economic benefits of climate initiatives.

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VideoCorporate Political Responsibility Taskforce

The ROI of Values: How Quantification Strengthens the Case for Action (and CPR)

Daniel Aronson of Valutus, 2024

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ArticleHarvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance

The short-termism trap: Catering to informed investors with limited horizons

Francesco Sangiorgi, James Dow, Jungsuk Han, 2024

This article argues that companies often over-react to short-term investor pressures—even when investors are well informed—leading firms to underinvest in innovation, resilience, and long-term value creation. It shows how structural incentives and capital-market dynamics can distort strategy and weaken corporate governance, reducing firms’ capacity to act responsibly in broader economic and civic systems.

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ToolUN Global Compact

Transformational Governance Corporate Toolkit

2024

This toolkit helps companies adopt practical transformational governance steps aligned with SDG 16 principles of peace, justice, and strong institutions. It includes a self-assessment tool to identify governance gaps, offers actionable recommendations, and focuses on board leadership, responsible lobbying, and sustainable investment strategies, enabling companies to improve transparency, reduce risks, and drive long-term societal impact.

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PresentationLeadership Now

Understanding U.S. Political Risk: Implications for Business

2024

This executive presentation supports business leaders:

Understand the current threats to U.S. democratic institutions and their implications for business.
Analyze how political instability and the erosion of democratic values can directly affect your business environment.
Learn actionable steps that business leaders can implement to mitigate political risks and support the stability of U.S. democracy.

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VideoCorporate Political Responsibility Taskforce

What are "Commercial Determinants of Health"

Dr. Nason Maani of University of Edinburgh, 2024

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ReportThe Erb Institute

What People are Saying: Testimonials for the Erb Principles for CPR

2024

This collection of testimonials from business leaders, academics, investors, and advocates highlights the growing recognition of corporate political responsibility (CPR) as a business imperative. The Erb Principles for CPR are endorsed as a practical, nonpartisan framework to help companies align political activity with purpose, values, and democratic institutions. Testimonials emphasize CPR's role in managing reputational risk, supporting market stability, and safeguarding democracy—making it relevant for firms across sectors and political contexts.

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ReportStrategic Management Journal

When Corporate Silence Is Costly: Negative Consumer Responses To Corporate Silence On Social Issues

Marco Quin, Xueming Luo, Todd Schifeling, Yang Wang, 2024

This research paper provides data that shows the costs to companies of deciding not to speak up on certain issues and the negative stakeholder response to such decisions. The researchers theorize whether and when consumers will negatively respond to corporate silence on a social issue based on the visibility of silence.

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VideoCorporate Political Responsibility Taskforce

Why it is Difficult to Act on CPR

Angeli Patel with the Berkeley Center for Law and Business, 2024

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Report The Conference Board – Committee for Economic Development (CED)

The 2024 Election: Rebuilding Trust

CED, 2023

This CED report outlines practical steps to strengthen public confidence in U.S. elections ahead of 2024, focusing on voter access, election administration, cybersecurity, and countering mis- and disinformation—including AI-driven threats. It highlights how businesses can serve as trusted messengers and system-supporting partners, helping reinforce institutional integrity while managing political, operational, and reputational risk.

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VideoCorporate Political Responsibility Taskforce

Actions Companies Can Take

Jonas Kron of Trillium Asset Management, 2023

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ToolThe Aspen Institute

Agenda for The Prepared Board

2023

The report reframes ESG and social purpose from optional extras to strategic essentials—rooted in fiduciary duty, risk oversight, and long-term resilience. It gives boards a practical path to lead on systemic challenges by aligning incentives, embedding preparedness into planning, and focusing capital on future-facing risks.

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Parties and Electoral Reform: Insights from Political Operatives

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