Explore our knowledge

Ben­jamin Carl Krag Egerod

Associate Professor

Subjects
Strategy Quantitative methods Democracy Politics North America Western Europe

Primary research areas

Corporate political activity

I study how, why and with which effects firms engage in the political process. I’m interested in corporate interactions with both legislators and bureaucrats.

The revolving door

I study the movement of public officials into corporate positions. I’m interested in both the opportunities this may offer the firms that hire them, and the officials’ motivations for leaving public office.

The market for lobbying services

The lobbying industry acts as a gatekeeper connecting decision-makers in the political world to actors in civil society. I study the market for lobbying services, a key determinant in this process.

Bureaucratic and regulatory politics

I study why bureaucrats are promoted, how regulatory rules are made and enforced. I have an emphasis on the role of firms, but my research covers broader topics.

American politics

While I study many contexts, the United States is the country I study most often. My published research has examined both Congress and the federal bureaucracy.

Political economy of domestic governing institutions

I’m broadly interested in “who gets what, when and how” as well as how this is shaped by the specific institutional setup.

Striving to understand the role of firms in democratic governance

I examine the various roles that money plays in politics, with an emphasis on how individual firms engage in the political process. I am particularly interested in the role that social connections to politicians play in corporate political activity. A large part of my research examines interactions between firms and the bureaucracy. My research helps us understand the role of firms and businesspeople in democratic governance.  

In my research, I draw on quantitative methods, and I have a strong focus on research design and quasi-experimental methods. Since most of the interactions I am interested in are difficult to observe, I often work with unstructured data (e.g. text). 

My dissertation on the revolving door between the US Congress and the private sector received the 2018/19 Stigler Dissertation Award from the Stigler Center, University of Chicago, Booth School of Business. Today, I am a non-resident Fellow at the Stigler Center.

Recent research projects

CBS-Princeton Copenhagen Money in Politics Conference

The Copenhagen Money in Politics Conference, co-organized by faculty at CBS and Princeton, brings together scholars studying the role of money in politics. This includes – but is not limited to – research on non-market strategy, lobbying, campaign finance, political connections, corruption, business and politics, and how decision-makers (including bureaucrats) interact with special interests.
Latest call for papers

The Corporate Revolving Door

The Corporate Revolving Door project, funded by the Independent Research Fund Denmark, offers the first large scale, cross country study of the movement of public officials into corporate positions in the United States and Western European countries. Jan Stuckatz is co-PI.

Corporate Political Connections in Denmark

The project provides the first comprehensive examination of social connections between firms and decision-makers at all levels of government in Denmark. Lasse Folke Henriksen is Co-PI. This project is a sub-component of Magtudredningen 2.0 (The Audit of Power and Democacy in Denmark).

Outside activities

I have no outside employments or activities