Business in Politics
Summary of the chapter
In this chapter, John Steiner and George Steiner discuss the relations between the government and businesses. At first, the scholars introduce the narratives of such people as Paul Magliochetti who represented the interests of corporations through lobbying (Steiner & Steiner, 2012, p. 272). Furthermore, one can speak about the actions of such politicians as Peter Visclosky who accepted money from lobbying groups. These examples demonstrate that businesses can often violate rules while trying to influence the decisions of legislators and governmental officials. These narratives are important for analyzing various legal and political issues.
Additionally, the authors examine the transformation of legislative norms governing the interactions between the state and businesses. For instance, one should speak about the role of the First Amendment which enables entrepreneurs to set and follow a certain political agenda (Steiner & Steiner, 2012, p. 277). Overall, this part of the U.S. Constitution helps businesses shape many of the existing laws. Furthermore, the writers examine those factors that influenced the role of government. For example, one can speak about the influence of the Great Depression on the role of the state and businesses. This is one of the details that can be identified.
Moreover, the writers focus on important court decisions that also influenced the role of businesses. In particular, much attention should be paid to Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission. According to this decision, the government cannot limit the political expenditures of corporations and non-governmental organizations. These are the main details that can be identified. Overall, the writers demonstrate that the interactions between businesses and the state are governed by various factors such as economic trends and the decisions of separate policy-makers or lawyers. These are the main aspects that can be distinguished.
Response
On the whole, this chapter has given me deep insights into how enterprises and governmental institutions interact with one another. These ideas are closely related to many of the modern business issues. For example, corporations should pay close attention to the legislative norms governing fundraising and lobbying. These questions are particularly relevant nowadays when many people speak about the increased influence of corporations on the community. In this case, enterprises should attach importance to such areas as compliance with the law and corporate social responsibility since in this way they can shield themselves against various pitfalls such as lawsuits.
Additionally, foreign businesses should concentrate on how they can promote their interests. Specific rules are describing the legitimate ways of protecting the interests of such enterprises. This aspect is also critical for the modern business world, especially at a time when many scholars and politicians speak about the globalization of the economy. Moreover, businesses need to pay attention to their publicity; this requirement is critical when they are often accused of assaulting American democracy (Steiner & Steiner, 2012, p. 314). This is one of the main goals that should be achieved by modern entrepreneurs.
Finally, business administrators should take into account that legislators and policy-makers are not unanimous in their views on the role of government. In turn, they can make use of possible conflicts between policy-makers to promote their interests. This task is particularly important when the work of enterprises becomes more regulated by the state. These are the main issues that should be considered.
Reference
Steiner, J., & Steiner, G. (2011). Business, Government, and Society. New York,NY: McGraw Hill.