Politics
To Reduce Risk, Build Trust, in Developing Countries and the U.S.
Mena Cammett ’12 of the World Bank says that the tools used to analyze risk in emerging markets are increasingly relevant to the United States. To mitigate vulnerabilities, build trust.
Can Business Leaders Be a Force for Democracy?
In the wake of the presidential election, Yale SOM leadership expert Jeffrey Sonnenfeld hosted three urgent discussions with top CEOs, where they discussed their concern about attempts to overturn the results and made a much-reported pledge to freeze donations to legislators who voted to reject election results.
![An American flag surrounded by office towers]()
Business Leaders Are Deeply Concerned about Public Safety—and Democracy
At a virtual meeting convened by Yale SOM leadership expert Jeffrey Sonnenfeld in the wake of the attack on the Capitol, CEOs voiced worries and brainstormed ideas for how business can help strengthen democracy.
![Police and members of the National Guard behind a fence outside the U.S. Capitol on January 7, 2021.]()
Day-One Advice for President Joe Biden, from Yale Experts
Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will take on an array of monumental challenges, including controlling COVID-19, making progress on the climate crisis, and confronting racial injustice. We asked faculty members who specialize in these and other subjects what research-based counsel they would give to America’s new leaders.
![President Joe Biden signing an order at the desk in the Oval Office]()
Trump’s Reluctant Goodbye
In the final act of Donald Trump‘s presidency, Yale SOM's Jeffrey Sonnenfeld sees echoes of “monarchical” CEOs who purge truth-tellers and surround themselves with sycophants—and invariably make an involuntary exit from the C-suite.
![Marine One departing the South Lawn of the White House]()
CEOs Urge Respect for Election Integrity
In a hastily assembled call on November 6, corporate leaders agreed on the importance of smooth transition process and encouraged GOP leaders to endorse the integrity of the election.
![President-Elect Joe Biden speaks to the media on November 9, 2020, in Wilmington, Delaware. Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images.]()
Business Leaders Mobilize for a Fair Vote
As the U.S. approaches a divisive election, writes Yale SOM leadership expert Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, business leaders are calling for patience while ballots are counted and a peaceful transfer of power.
![Ballots in a sorting machine at the Santa Clara County registrar of voters office in October 2020. Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images.]()
Can We Talk about Politics at Work?
We asked Heidi Brooks, who studies organizational behavior and pioneered the course Everyday Leadership, for her advice on how organizations can respond positively to strong opinions and emotions around political issues—both during election season and after the votes have been cast.
![An illustration of people reading newspapers with election news.]()
On COVID-19 Vaccines, Big Pharma Knows to Just Say ‘No’
In the face of pressure from President Donald Trump, nine major pharmaceutical companies have signed a pledge to complete testing before submitting vaccines for approval. Yale's Jeffrey Sonnenfeld and Dr. Albert Ko write that the drugmakers’ caution may help provide badly needed confidence in the eventual vaccine.
![Moncef Slaoui, lead scientist on Operation Warp Speed, with President Trump and Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar at a press conference on vaccine development in May 2020. Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images.]()
What Kamala Harris’s Nomination Means for Women’s Equality
If Joe Biden is elected this November, Kamala Harris would be the first woman and the first person of color to serve as vice president. We asked Prof. Oriane Georgeac, who studies perceptions of diversity, if Harris’s nomination heralds an acceleration of progress for women generally.
![Kamala Harris campaigning in Iowa in February 2019. Photo: Daniel Acker/Bloomberg via Getty Images.]()
Please Mr. Postman
Some have defended cutbacks to the United States Postal Service, weeks ahead of the election, by citing the USPS’s financial struggles. But the postal service was created to provide a public service, writes Yale SOM’s Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, not to turn a profit.
![A USPS worker wearing a mask puts envelopes in a mailbox while driving past]()
