The Post-Election Politics Of The Revolving Door - In These Times

Posted on: Fri, 11/09/2012 - 10:45 By: Tom Swiss

In These Times reports on a little noticed aspect of the corrupt revolving door between government and the corporate world: The Post-Election Politics Of The Revolving Door

The implications of all this should be self-evident. If, as a regulator, you know you can be paid better by working for companies you are regulating, you are more likely to go easier on those companies in hopes of landing that more lucrative job. Likewise, if you see managing campaigns as a gateway to a higher-paid post-election job in corporate PR, you are more likely to urge your political clients to pursue strategies that go easy on businesses you hope will soon be paying you a retainer. And if you are splitting time between advising candidates and shilling for special interests, your counsel will inevitably tilt towards those interests.