The Cost of Doing Politics - How Partisanship and Public Opinion Shape Corporate Influence

Using quantitative and qualitative evidence, Sumner shows how consumer boycotts can work to dissuade companies from donating money to politicians, but may also encourage companies to attempt influence by largely invisible means. Boycotts do not work as many people expect - by threatening sales. Instead, Sumner shows how boycotts are less a statement of consumer behaviour than a way for people to signal their political inclinations, and they primarily hurt companies by tarnishing their reputation. Political influence is about building relationships, which means that companies have many more options for influence than just PAC contributions and formal lobbying. With these options available, companies can decide how to influence politics when they need to, and the tarnish of boycotts to a company's image can push some businesses to pursue options that are less noticeable to the public.

List of contents

1. Introduction; 2. Where does political influence come from?; 3. How does public opinion shape corporate political advocacy?; 4. Why does the public care about corporate political influence?; 5. Why do companies care about public opinion?; 6. Do companies try to avoid public backlash?; 7. So what and now what? Summaries and concluding thoughts; Bibliography; Appendix A: Interview methods; Appendix B: Chapter 4 study methodology and full results; Appendix C: Chapter 5 robustness checks; Appendix D: Chapter 6 robustness checks; Index.

About the author

Jane L. Sumner is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. Her research has been published in the Journal of Politics, Political Analysis, Political Science Research and Methods, amongst other publications.

Summary

Using quantitative and qualitative evidence, Sumner shows that consumer boycotts can work to dissuade companies from donating money to politicians, but may also encourage them to attempt influence by less-visible means. This book is written for scholars and students interested in corporate political influence.

Foreword

Reveals how and why corporate political influence remains largely invisible to the public eye.

Product details

• Authors: Jane L. Sumner, Jane L. (University of Minnesota) Sumner
• Publisher: Cambridge Academic
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 31.03.2024
• EAN: 9781009124584
• ISBN: 978-1-00-912458-4
• Dimensions: 151 mm x 228 mm x 14 mm
• Weight: 390 g
• Illustrations: Worked examples or Exercises
• Series: Business and Public Policy
• Subjects: Social sciences, law, business > Political science > Political science and political education; Business & Economics / General, POLITICAL SCIENCE / Political Economy, RELIGION / Religion, Politics & State, POLITICAL SCIENCE / Comparative Politics, JUVENILE NONFICTION / Business & Economics, Politics & government, Religion & politics, Business studies: general, Political Economy, Comparative Politics, Politics and government, Religion and Politics, Educational: Business studies & economics, POLITICAL SCIENCE / Religion, Politics & State, Educational: Business studies and economics