Is American democracy starting to look more like corporate governance? In this episode we unpack the ways in which the language and logic of the boardroom are reshaping our political system to understand what happens when citizens are treated like shareholders and politicians act more like CEOs. Legal scholars Sarah Haan (Brooklyn Law School), Sergio Alberto Gramitto Ricci (Hofstra Law School), and Christina Sautter (SMU Dedman School of Law) explore the tangled history and present-day stakes of shareholder participation, corporate power, and regulatory capture. Join us as we trace how corporate governance evolved from a participatory ideal to a system that actively discourages engagement, especially when women became the dominant shareholder class. Together, we explore Prof. Ricci’s ‘Vitruvian Shareholder’ and ‘Total Governance’ frameworks, Prof. Sautter’s deep dive into corporate law’s origins in 19th-century New Jersey, and Prof. Haan’s compelling argument that corporate democracy is shaping political authoritarianism in real time. Tune in for a timely conversation on the hidden mechanics of power and the future of democratic participation in corporations and beyond!

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