The purpose of the course is to give students an understanding of how and why governments and businesses interact across a wide spectrum of situations and issues. The course will examine how the structures, environments, interests, agendas and constituencies of businesses and governments shape their relationships and drive outcomes. This course takes a holistic approach to business-government relations. It is meant to give students an understanding of the major issues within which government and businesses (both U.S. and non-U.S.) interact most intensely and frequently so they can be more successful when they find themselves working at the intersection of those issues. Advocacy and lobbying are part of this, but not the only part of it.

Businesses’ interactions with governments represent a major source of potential risk. Knowing how to effectively manage government relations, no matter what the context, is a critical component of corporate risk management and mitigation.