How -- and When -- Should Companies Engage in the Political Process? A new set of principles to encourage responsibility, legitimacy, accountability, and transparency.

The article focuses on the political responsibilities of corporations and introduces the Principles for Corporate Political Responsibility (CPR) developed by the Erb Institute at the University of Michigan. These principles provide guidelines for corporate political activities—including lobbying, political spending, and public discourse—emphasizing responsibility, legitimacy, accountability, and transparency. The CPR framework aims to ensure that companies engage in politics without undermining fair competition, respect established science, and align their political actions with their stated values, supported by formal governance policies. This approach seeks to balance free-market capitalism with constitutional democracy by promoting ethical corporate participation in the political process.