Activists and scholars alike have been sounding the alarm bells on the intensifying corporate capture of democratic institutions, which has undermined democratically determined priorities of the majority in favour of profit maximizing goals that benefit a narrow elite. This capture of public decision-making institutions often takes place through a suite of innocuous tools and tactics such as proffering corporate-dominated ‘advice’ or ‘expertise’ through the policy-making process; the smooth movement of staff via the revolving door to and from public institutions and big business; the privileged access of business interests to top decision-makers and officials responsible for handling key dossiers; informal links between political and corporate elites; funding of ostensibly ‘independent’ research units to support public work. These channels allow powerful actors, such as fossil fuel and chemical industries, to exercise disproportionate influence over public policy, undermining the basic tenets of democratic rule. In response, this proposal calls for instituting lobby firewalls that create clearly defined boundaries between corporate actors and decision-makers, improved transparency mechanisms including mandatory disclosure of lobbying activities, and revolving door prohibitions for public officials to prevent careerist impulses from orienting public policy towards private interest. Ultimately, building a human rights economy beyond the imperatives of exploitative growth requires that workers, communities, and indigenous people that make up the majority are able to set the goals, values, and priorities that public institutions serve without succumbing to pressures exerted by powerful groups.
