The Cost of Doing Politics

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.

• 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.

'This book shows how the ever-present 'threat of public backlash' induces firms to obscure some lobbying-type actions aimed at political influence, to avoid some others altogether, and conversely intentionally to publicize a few others or at least undertake them in plain daylight without effort to hide. It convincingly establishes that 'public backlash' against firm political action (influence-seeking) is a form of political speech that strongly influences how, and how much, corporate political influence is exerted. Jane Lawrence Sumner's The Cost of Doing Politics is outstanding, and important, scholarship on the powerful role of popular action in mitigating problematic firm lobbying and government influence.' Robert J. Franzese, Jr, Department of Political Science, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor