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Corporate Citizens
Who says Corporations are citizens?
Do notions of citizenship apply to organizations? If so, why and how? What are the mechanics of compliance with citizenship obligations, rights, duties, etc. Why is this even a topic of debate? Surely if corporations could be forces of positive change, consumers would demand that they perform that function, right? Use specific examples from the viewings/readings below, as well as your own observations, to support your comments.
Who says corporations are citizens? The Supreme Court, that's who. Basically, the 5-4 Citizens United decision allowed corporations (including certain nonprofit corporations) and labor unions to expand their role in political campaigns by influencing many outside, non-candidate organizations could now raise and spend unlimited amounts of money to support or oppose a candidate (Dunbar, 2016). These outside groups are not allowed to technically coordinate directly with the candidates and their campaigns, however they can basically operate indiscriminately towards mutual interests so long as they "do not have the appearance of corruption." Although the shadowy super PACs have virtually no support from members of both parties, unraveling the mess that is currently the state of political financing will take significant effort -- maybe even an amendment to...
While self-interest does dominate the economic sphere which has many benefits, it must be effectively balanced by the mediating influence of democracy in a system of checks and balances. Some historians have seen this as one of the most fundamental roles of the Federal Government and Zephyr Teachout's new book states that (Teachout, 2014):
"(the public views) assume that people are generally public regarding. It assumes that the job of government is to create structures to curb temptations that lead to exaggerated self-interest. It certainly recognizes the power of self-interest; but instead of endorsing it, the traditional American approach makes it government's job to temper egocentrism in the public sphere."
Corporations can definitely be sources of positive change in society and many have crafted niches and operations that have allowed them to become effectively sustainable in the sense that they make positive contributions to society and to the environment. Although some companies have chosen this path voluntarily, others only address environmental and social factors by compliance, and still others skirt as many regulations as possible with a narrow focus on…
Works Cited
Democracy Spring. (2016). Sit in with Thousands. Save Democracy for Millions. Retrieved from Democracy Spring: http://www.democracyspring.org/
Dunbar, J. (2016, March 22). Analysis: How might the 'Citizens United' decision be undone? Retrieved from The Center for Public Integrity: https://www.publicintegrity.org/2016/03/14/19420/analysis-how-might-citizens-united-decision-be-undone
Porter, M. (2014, June). The case for letting business solve social problems. Retrieved from TED: https://www.ted.com/talks/michael_porter_why_business_can_be_good_at_solving_social_problems?language=en
Teachout, Z. (2014, November 14). Corruption in America: From Benjamin Franklin's Snuff Box to 'Citizens United'. Retrieved from Moyers & Company: http://billmoyers.com/2014/11/14/zephyr-book/
Politics of the Common Good In Justice: What's the Right Thing to Do? (2009), Michael J. Sandal argues that politics and society require a common moral purpose beyond the assertion of natural rights like life liberty and property or the utilitarian calculus of increasing pleasure and minimizing pain for the greatest number of people. He would move beyond both John Locke and Jeremy Bentham in asserting that "a just society can't
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