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Rent Seeking by Agents of the Firm

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  • Gupta, Sanjay
  • Swenson, Charles W

Abstract

This study examines the role of managers' political campaign contributions in relation to their firms' tax benefits. The study differs from extant public choice literature that has not examined the role of self-interested agents within the firm. Using a major tax law change, we find that firms' political action committee contributions and individual managers' campaign contributions are both positively associated with firm tax benefits (rents) at stake. We also observe these contributions to be an increasing function of managers' wealth effects through the existence of bonus plans that are based on after-tax earnings and ownership of the firm's stock. The policy implications are that firms' own tax benefits, as well as its managers' individual wealth-enhancing effects, may influence campaign contributions.

Suggested Citation

  • Gupta, Sanjay & Swenson, Charles W, 2003. "Rent Seeking by Agents of the Firm," Journal of Law and Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 46(1), pages 253-268, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:ucp:jlawec:y:2003:v:46:i:1:p:253-68
    DOI: 10.1086/345579
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Stratmann, Thomas, 1995. "Campaign Contributions and Congressional Voting: Does the Timing of Contributions Matter?," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 77(1), pages 127-136, February.
    2. Loucks, Christine, 1996. "Finance Industry PAC Contributions to U.S. Senators, 1983-88," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 89(3-4), pages 219-229, December.
    3. Bronars, Stephen G & Lott, John R, Jr, 1997. "Do Campaign Donations Alter How a Politician Votes? Or, Do Donors Support Candidates Who Value the Same Things That They Do?," Journal of Law and Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 40(2), pages 317-350, October.
    4. Williams, Michael G. & Swenson, Charles W., 1999. "A model of corporate rent-seeking through tax legislation," Journal of Accounting and Public Policy, Elsevier, vol. 18(4-5), pages 375-394.
    5. Stratmann, Thomas, 1998. "The Market for Congressional Votes: Is Timing of Contributions Everything?," Journal of Law and Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 41(1), pages 85-113, April.
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    Cited by:

    1. Hartwell, Christopher A. & Devinney, Timothy M., 2024. "The demands of populism on business and the creation of “corporate political obligations”," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 33(2).
    2. Desai, Mihir A. & Dharmapala, Dhammika, 2006. "Corporate tax avoidance and high-powered incentives," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 79(1), pages 145-179, January.
    3. Deepti Kohli, 2022. "Elections, lobbying and economic policies: an empirical investigation across Indian states," Constitutional Political Economy, Springer, vol. 33(3), pages 255-300, September.
    4. Dongmin Kong & Junyi Xiang & Jian Zhang & Yiyang Lu, 2019. "Politically connected independent directors and corporate fraud in China," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 58(5), pages 1347-1383, March.
    5. Jian Zhang, 2018. "Public Governance and Corporate Fraud: Evidence from the Recent Anti-corruption Campaign in China," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 148(2), pages 375-396, March.
    6. Hadani, Michael & Dahan, Nicolas M. & Doh, Jonathan P., 2015. "The CEO as chief political officer: Managerial discretion and corporate political activity," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 68(11), pages 2330-2337.
    7. Alice Guerra & Barbara Luppi & Francesco Parisi, 2019. "Productive and unproductive competition: a unified framework," Economia Politica: Journal of Analytical and Institutional Economics, Springer;Fondazione Edison, vol. 36(3), pages 785-804, October.
    8. Dane M. Christensen & Dan S. Dhaliwal & Steven Boivie & Scott D. Graffin, 2015. "Top management conservatism and corporate risk strategies: Evidence from managers' personal political orientation and corporate tax avoidance," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 36(12), pages 1918-1938, December.
    9. Omer Unsal & M. Kabir Hassan & William J. Hippler, 2016. "Lobbying in Finance Industry: Evidence from US Banking System," NFI Working Papers 2017-WP-03, Indiana State University, Scott College of Business, Networks Financial Institute.
    10. Hassan, Mohammad Kabir & Unsal, Omer & Hippler, William J., 2020. "Financial industry lobbying and shareholder litigation outcomes: implications for managers and regulators," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 53(C).
    11. Vishal P. Baloria & Kenneth J. Klassen, 2018. "Supporting Tax Policy Change Through Accounting Discretion: Evidence from the 2012 Elections," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 64(10), pages 4893-4914, October.

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