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The movement of public officials into private sector jobs—often referred to as the
revolving door—has become an increasingly visible and consequential feature of contemporary politics. While the phenomenon is often discussed, we still know relatively little about how common it is, why firms engage in this practice, and what consequences it has for markets and business-government relations. With a focus on the United States, this talk presents new evidence on the prevalence and purpose of the revolving door, where it is now a far more widespread form of corporate political engagement than traditional tools such as lobbying or campaign contributions. Drawing on large-scale administrative and financial data, I show that firms tend to hire former public officials in response to political shocks and use them to manage their regulatory environment. Firms that engage in this practice subsequently receive more government contracts and are less likely to face regulatory enforcement actions. The talk will close with a discussion of the implications for other contexts, including Denmark and Europe, and what these patterns mean for how we understand the evolving relationship between business and the state.
About Benjamin C. K. EgerodBenjamin Egerod is an assistant professor of business and government at the Copenhagen Business School and an affiliate fellow at the Stigler Center, UChicago Booth School of Business. His research focuses on business-government relations with a focus on how firms interact with political decision-makers in all branches of government. His work is published or forthcoming in
The Journal of Politics, Quarterly Journal of Political Science, and
British Journal of Political Science among other outlets.
Venue: DIAS Auditorium, Krogene V, SDU Odense
Open for all - no registration needed
