Article Series: Time to Talk About the Public Interest

The term "public interest" is mentioned 316 times in the enabling legislation that created the Securities and Exchange Commission, yet current discussions of materiality, integrated reporting, "multiple capitals", corporate social responsibility, responsible investing, and sustainability rarely mention it. That's a shame, because until the mid-part of the 20th century, the idea of civic virtue was present in discussions of corporate and investor behavior. It's time to restore that sense of "integrity", and engage in a serious and sustained conversation about “the public interest” capital markets profess to support. In doing that, we'll be recouping centuries of wisdom about civic virtue and economic activity, which has practical significance for our time. This series, "Time to Talk About the Public Interest", aims to do that.