seems to affirm the role of corporate money in politics, rather than disavow it. The company’s participation in No Kings suggests a belief that corporate money can be a tool for good in politics. It is because Ben & Jerry’s runs a profitable ice cream business, with customers worldwide, that it has the platform, global reach, and resources to effectively promote its political message. Corporate activism often entails the forceful use of corporate money to achieve political objectives. For example, companies including PayPal and Deutsche Bank pressurised the government of North Carolina to repeal an anti-trans “Bathroom Bill” by boycotting the state, causing an estimated $3.67 billion hit to the state economy. LEFT-LEANING As the examples in this article indicate, corporate political activism is dominated by stances on the left of the political spectrum. This represents somewhat of a historical reversal: big businesses have more often been pilloried by left-leaning protesters than marching alongside them, from the student protests of 1968 to the “Occupy” protests of the 2010s. The logic of this shift was summarised by Ben Cohen, co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s. Cohen argued in an interview that big businesses standing up for progressive causes represented “the most powerful force in society… using its power for the benefit of society”. Cohen’s argument reframes the role of corporate money in politics: from a corrupting influence, to a powerful tool for fighting social injustice. Cohen spent many years using his business to promote a particular concept of social justice. But he is far from the only businessperson with a vision of what is to “the benefit of society”. Elon Musk threw his social media platform, X, and his personal wealth behind Donald Trump’s election in 2024, calling it: “a fork in the road of destiny”. Musk supports some decidedly un-Ben & Jerry’s causes: government spending cuts, deregulation, and opposition to what he calls “the woke mind virus”. Various companies have sought to promote and profit from “anti-woke” sentiment following Trump’s re-election. This shows that corporate political activism need not necessarily be left-wing. BEYOND OUR INFLUENCE? When a politician effects political changes that we disagree with, our right to vote in elections provides a powerful tool for influencing them and for registering our discontent. Mandatory declarations of financial interests are meant to prevent UK Members of Parliament from voting in pursuit of personal financial gain. Our democratic procedures and institutions are imperfect, and many people are understandably dissatisfied with their current performance. But they are designed to give us a voice in how we are governed, and the ability to hold the powerful to account. When a company or corporate executive effects political changes that we disagree with, our options are limited. We lack any direct say or input into their stances. We cannot choose which causes they direct their substantial wealth towards. Although we can speak out against them, the voice of the multinational corporation tends to be louder than that of the citizen. Freedom House, a non-profit organisation advocating for democracy, warned in its 2025 report that democracies face “daunting challenges”, with political freedom in decline worldwide. Ben & Jerry’s is right that democracy is worth fighting for. But big businesses’ involvement in politics, whether through lobbying or activism, lacks democratic input and accountability. Perhaps the question should not be whether business is using its position as “the most powerful force in society” for good, but whether it is good for business to be “the most powerful force in society”. In a democracy, this role belongs to the people. FIFTY FOUR DEGREES | 13 Lewis Nicholas is a PhD researcher in the Department of Organisation, Work and Technology in Lancaster University Management School. His research investigates corporate political activism. He is supervised by Dr Kostas Amiridis and Professor Bogdan Costea. l.nicholas@lancaster.ac.uk
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NTI5NzM=