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Avenues of influence: on the political expenditures of corporations and their directors and executives

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  • Bonica Adam

    (Department of Political Science, Stanford University, Encina Hall West, 616 Serra Street, Room 307, Stanford, CA 94305-6044, United States of America)

Abstract

The literature on corporate political influence has primarily focused on expenditures made by corporations and their PACs but has largely ignored the political activities of the individuals who lead these firms. To better understand the role of corporate elites in political advocacy, I introduce a new database of campaign contributions made by corporate directors and executives of Fortune 500 firms. Donating to political campaigns is nearly universal among corporate elites. When compared to corporate PACs, corporate elites are more ideological, more willing to support non-incumbents, and less likely to target powerful legislators. The results also reveal substantial heterogeneity in the political preferences of directors both across and within firms. In addition to challenging widely held beliefs about the political leanings of corporate elites, the prevalence of bipartisan boardrooms has important implications for how the preferences of key decision-makers within a firm shape its political activities.

Suggested Citation

  • Bonica Adam, 2016. "Avenues of influence: on the political expenditures of corporations and their directors and executives," Business and Politics, De Gruyter, vol. 18(4), pages 367-394, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:bpj:buspol:v:18:y:2016:i:4:p:367-394:n:3
    DOI: 10.1515/bap-2016-0004
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Hazan, Moshe & Cohen, Alma & Weiss, David, 2021. "Politics and Gender in the Executive Suite," CEPR Discussion Papers 14513, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    2. Silano, Filippo, 2023. "The political economy of finance and regulatory capture: Evidence from the US Congress," ILE Working Paper Series 72, University of Hamburg, Institute of Law and Economics.
    3. Alma Cohen & Moshe Hazan & Roberto Tallarita & David Weiss, 2019. "The Politics of CEOs," NBER Working Papers 25815, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    4. Zhang, Bobo & Zhang, Zhou, 2022. "Shining light on corporate political spending: Evidence from shareholder engagements," International Review of Law and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 70(C).
    5. Rockey, James & Zakir, Nadia, 2020. "When two tribes go to work: Board political diversity and firm performance," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 63(C).

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