Tag Archives: Citizens United

Diamonds and Rust: The Need for Ethical Climate Change in Banking

The takeaway: The British  scandal over interest-rate rigging underscores the need for ethical climate change in banking. In addition to regulatory and policy changes, doing this involves the combined efforts of CEOs, boards of directors, investors, depositors, and other stakeholders … Continue reading

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Corporate Oligarchs, Politics, and the Common Good

The TakeAway: Among other events, this week’s anniversaries of JFK’s inaugural speech and Citizens United call us to fight to elevate conscience over politics and capitalism. This week juxtaposed statesman service and corporate dominion at a time when oligarchs increasingly … Continue reading

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What Price Democracy?

The TakeAway: Big money bought many midterm elections, but a new Conference Board publication provides guidance on responsible corporate political spending. In a preview of what’s in store for 2012, political campaigners – including candidates, parties, and outside interest groups … Continue reading

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Sustainability News Roundup

The TakeAway: BP’s transparency, the power of proxy advisory firms, and uncontrolled campaign spending BP disaster: truth or “integrated spin”?  | Today’s New York Times and Wall Street Journal report that Halliburton knowingly supplied “unstable” cement to BP to seal … Continue reading

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Follow the (Corporate Campaign) Money

The TakeAway: Shareholder activists and researchers focus on corporate political donations, while more than 80 percent of S&P 500 companies fail to provide spending information “Follow the money” was a catchphrase of the 1976 movie All the President’s Men, the … Continue reading

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Citizens United: The Aftermath

The TakeAway: This year’s Supreme Court decision in Citizens United opened the floodgates of money in politics, eroding public trust in government as well as shareholder value. “Oyez, Oyez, Oyez!” the Marshal of the Court called out today, marking the … Continue reading

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“We the People”, Not “We the Moguls”

The TakeAway: Controversial corporate political spending spurs shareholder activism aimed at aligning company values with American values. With election season around the corner, today we question if our democracy, founded on the ideal of representing “We the People”, has been … Continue reading

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Environmental & Social Policy Resolutions Receive Record Levels of Support

Part Two of Three Parts For more than forty years, shareholder activists and large investors have expressed their concerns to corporate boards through the proxy resolution process.  For them, this past season was the best ever. Proxy resolutions are proposed … Continue reading

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