I am currently enrolled in the Corporate Citizenship course and am absolutely loving it. Yesterday, we received an introduction and overview of what a corporation is. For someone who has only worked for Non-Profit Organizations, this was a fascinating lesson. I felt like Lewis and Clark exploring the Louisiana Purchase. (I always knew the land was there, but I am now experiencing it for the first time.)

There is so much I can write about, but what really struck me was the idea of Corporate Personhood. The 14th Amendment of the Constitution was adopted to give equal rights to citizens and more pointedly, African Americans after the Civil War. However, the U.S. Supreme Court also gave certain rights and protection to Corporations under the 14th Amendment.

It’s strange to think that an inhuman creation is given rights and protection, but nevertheless, Corporations operate with legal rights and responsibilities today.
So, if a Corporation has legal rights and responsibilities like that of a human, does it have social responsibilities as well? Does the Corporation owe the community anything? Should it try to preserve the environment or natural resources? Is it obligated to make a profit or keep inflation down for its customers in difficult economic times?

These are some of the questions we will be tackling this quarter.
With the presidential election coming soon, the political landscape is more polarizing than ever. I expect this will only add fuel to the fire and make our examination of Corporations even more stimulating.
I can’t wait for our next class!