In Bill Clinton’s 1996 State of the Union address, he declared that “the era of big government is over.” Not exactly. Since that famous speech, the size of government has grown exponentially, with thousands more federal employees, hundreds of additional committees and trillions in new spending. With it, Washington impacts more areas of the U.S. economy than ever before.
Nowhere is this more apparent than in corporate America, where regulation, tax policy and large spending packages can all have a significant impact on business plans. Furthermore, as many U.S. businesses (especially public companies) become more global and customers, suppliers and shareholders more ubiquitous, companies of all shapes and sizes are realizing governmental interaction – federal, state and local, foreign and domestic – is here to stay.
As a result, Investor Relations Officers (IROs) of public companies must better understand how to work within the confines of Washington and key state and municipal hubs to ensure they are minimizing risks and maximizing opportunities. This paper seeks to help IROs navigate this complex regulatory and geopolitical landscape in order to mitigate potential risk and maximize opportunity.