PAST EVENT
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
9:30 AM to 11:00 AM
Washington, DC
The global financial crisis and the actions of a handful of individuals and companies have significantly eroded the public trust in corporations—in the United States and across the globe. Brookings and the Clinton Global Initiative hosted a discussion on corporate philanthropy and social responsibility in the midst of the economic downturn. The discussion featured former President William J. Clinton; Coca-Cola Chairman Muhtar Kent; Patricia A. Woertz, CEO and president of Archer Daniels Midland Company; and Kemal Derviş, vice president and director of Global Economy and Development at Brookings.
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RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Pietro S. Nivola and John C. Courtney, April 23, 2009, The Brookings Institution
The Obama administration and Congress are working rapidly to design a new regulatory architecture for the nation’s financial system. “They might consider taking a page or two from a model next door—Canada,” write Pietro Nivola and John C. Courtney, as they explore why the Canadian banking system remains solvent and solid amid the current global crisis. Read More
PAST EVENT
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
9:15 AM to 11:30 AM
Washington, DC
As public outrage grows over bonuses paid to employees at private firms being bailed out by the government, many are asking whether some companies are "too big to fail" and the consequences of propping up firms at any cost. The Initiative on Business and Public Policy at Brookings hosted Minneapolis Federal Reserve President Gary H. Stern and Vice President Ron J. Feldman to discuss the issue, along with former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
E.J. Dionne, Jr., March 23, 2009, The New Republic
Many argue that President Obama is biting off way more than he can chew, "overloading" the system and dealing with all sorts of "side issues," when he should be focusing solely on the broken economy. E.J. Dionne writes that Obama's biggest task will be restoring faith that what he had in mind is still possible. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Gary Burtless, March 17, 2009, The National Journal
The current financial crisis and the events that preceded it do not reveal a new problem in capitalism, says Gary Burtless. They do, however, highlight problems that have been obvious to careful observers for many years, and in some cases for centuries. One central problem underscored by the present crisis is the disconnect between the financial interests of senior company managers and the owners of the companies they work for. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
William A. Galston, March 11, 2009, NPR
As the New Deal took shape, President Franklin Roosevelt was accused of undermining capitalism. His response was that he was saving capitalism, not least from itself. Today, in the midst of another economic crisis, cries of "socialism" once again abound. These are old debates, writes Brookings expert William Galston, which many of us thought had been resolved during the New Deal. The fact that they are being revived today testifies both to the gravity of our economic ills and to the persistence of longstanding misconceptions about how modern market economies actually work. Read More
BOOK
David de Ferranti, Anthony J. Ody and with Justin Jacinto and Graeme Ramshaw, March 01, 2009
This perceptive book emphasizes the need for an overall analytical framework that can be applied to different countries to help analyze the current situation, identify potential areas for improvement, and assess their relative feasibility and the steps needed to promote them. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Rebecca M. Blank, September 19, 2008, Religion and Ethics Newsweekly
The financial crisis: more failures, fears, realignment, layoffs on Wall Street, with consequences around the world. Is anyone to blame? PBS's Religion and Ethics Newsweekly host Bob Abernethy and Rebecca Blank explore the ethical issues underlying the financial meltdown. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Jane Nelson, August 18, 2008, The Brookings Institution
The 2008 Brookings Blum Roundtable recently convened representatives to focus on how the poor of the world will cope with climate change. With a few notable exceptions, the climate adaptation challenge, and the links between climate change, economic growth, human rights, and poverty alleviation, has not been high on the corporate agenda. Jane Nelson, an expert in corporate social responsibility, recommends the corporate community take action to address climate change adaptation in the developing world. Read More
VIDEO
Richard Thornburgh and Martha Raddatz, May 30, 2008
Former U.S. Attorney General Richard Thornburgh examines today’s corporate culture and finds that, while it is replete with good corporate citizens, we've seen a culture of greed and failure to observe basic fiduciary duties in the first part of this decade. Thornburgh says it is time for a system of corporate best practices for good governance.
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Dick Thornburgh and Michael J. Missal, February 28, 2007, Opportunity 08
The strength of U.S. capital markets is in large part based on effective corporate governance. Without it, the valuable securities—including those in 401(k) plans and other retirement vehicles—of millions of Americans would be at risk. Dick Thornburgh and Michael J. Missal argue that the next President should protect the investments and retirement plans of millions of Americans by leading the effort to strengthen the roles of gatekeepers. Read More
PAST EVENT
Friday, April 25, 2003
8:00 AM to 4:45 PM
Washington, DC
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RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Shang-Jin Wei and Heather Milkiewicz, April 01, 2003, The Brookings Institution
The revelation of corporate scandals and the financial crises in the developing countries have persuaded many people around the world that "Enronitis," in its various guises, can seriously damage people's confidence in a financial system and retard economic development. Shang-Jin Wei and Heather Milkiewicz argue that an invigorated, worldwide reform effort will reduce the chance of future economic devastation that could result from poor public and corporate governance. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Shang-Jin Wei and Heather Milkiewicz, March 01, 2003, The Brookings Institution
The revelation of corporate scandals and the financial crises in the developing countries have persuaded many people around the world that "Enronitis," in its various guises, can seriously damage people's confidence in a financial system and retard economic development. Shang-Jin Wei and Heather Milkiewicz argue that an invigorated, worldwide reform effort will reduce the chance of future economic devastation that could result from poor public and corporate governance. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Michel Goyer, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, January 01, 2003, U.S.-France Analysis
Analysis by Michel Goyer, MIT, for the Center on the U.S. and France, January 2003 Read More