Stephan: In politics, as in everything else in America, ethics mean very little. What matters is profit, wealth, and greed. And, because that is true, the American government is for sale. Here is the proof. We are a very sick country with a future that is very problematic.
A new, first of its kind study tracks the political leanings of CEOs by examining 18 years of political contributions by more than 3,800 CEOs of S&P 1500 companies.
The big picture: The chief executives of America’s largest public companies are more than twice as likely to lean Republican in their campaign contributions than to favor Democrats.
- Among big energy companies, CEOs’ Republican leanings are even stronger: more than 9 in 10 energy CEOs side with Republicans, and none with Democrats.
- The study, by professors from Harvard Law School and Tel-Aviv University, classifies a CEO as a Republican or a Democrat if they gave at least two-thirds of their campaign contributions to one party or the other. CEOs that distributed their contributions more evenly between the two major parties were classified as neutral.
Why it matters: Money matters in politics — and CEOs wield significant power in America.
- The public trusts CEOs more than journalists and government officials, according to a recent Edelman survey, and 84% “expect CEOs to inform conversations and policy debates on one or more pressing societal issues.”
- They sit on […]
