 |  Business and Society: Corporate Strategy, Public Policy, Ethics, 10/e James Post,
Boston University
Anne T Lawrence,
San Jose State University
James Weber,
Duquesne University
Managing Business-Government Relations
Chapter Summary- Government makes many decisions that directly and indirectly affect business. It is for this reason that managers and companies feel compelled to participate in the political process.
- Corporate political activity takes two forms: actions focused on influencing governmental policies and decision making, and actions aimed at affecting electoral politics. Political action committees, lobbying, and grassroots programs are among the most popular types of corporate political activities.
- Businesses play a role in electoral politics by providing campaign funds and other forms of support to candidates. Firms take positions on campaign issues, lending support to ideas that support business interests and opposing ideas they believe are harmful.
- Strategic management of government relations involves understanding how a business's long-term economic and social interests are entwined with government policy and then acting to support that relationship.
- Businesses need to be involved in public policy decisions for several reasons: They have a large stake in specific government actions affecting their industry; they also provide a voice that should be heard on many economic and social policy issues.
- Businesses have a stake in the critical issues facing the nation's political system. Campaign financing, the power of special interests, the media's role, incumbency, and referendum politics are among the issues prompting calls for political reform. The way managers conduct their companies' governmental relations will be influenced by changes in these areas.
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2002 McGraw-Hill Higher Education