Has the Pursuit of "Independence" in Corporate Governance Become Exaggerated?

“Independence” is a central corporate governance idea in the discussions of the Sarbanes-Oxley era. But have the SEC, public companies, mutual funds, stock exchanges, accountants, and proxy advisers gotten carried away by the pursuit of independence? What are its limitations and does it interfere with other essential elements of governance, particularly knowledge and informed risk-taking? How does it affect the functioning of boards and accounting firms? What can we learn by comparing publicly traded with privately held companies?

About the Author

 

Peter J.
Wallison

 

Alex J.
Pollock
  • Alex Pollock joined AEI in 2004 after thirty-five years in banking. He was president and chief executive officer of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago from 1991 to 2004. He is the author of numerous articles on financial systems and the organizer of the “Deflating Bubble” series of AEI conferences. In 2007, he developed a one-page mortgage form to help borrowers understand their mortgage obligations. At AEI, he focuses on financial policy issues, including housing finance, government-sponsored enterprises, retirement finance, corporate governance, accounting standards, and the banking system. He is a director of the CME Group, the Great Lakes Higher Education Corporation, the International Union for Housing Finance, and the chairman of the board of the Great Books Foundation.

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  • Phone: 2028627190
    Email: apollock@aei.org
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