Government, Regulation, and Business Ethics

Enron: the Smartest Guys in the Room (2005, Magnolia): this documentary looks at the 2001 Enron scandal and corporate collapse. Issues of fraud, misrepresentation, organizational culture, regulatory failure, and accounting failures are all examined.

Thank You for Smoking (2005, Fox Searchlight): dark comedy looking at a lobbyist for the tobacco industry. Examines issues of lobbying, effective regulation, and individual ethics.

Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (2010, 20th Century Fox): sequel to the infamous ‘Wall Street’, this drama focuses on the shady dealings of investment firms into the context of a substantial economic downturn. Draws on issues related to market manipulation, intersection of public and private interests, government intervention in financial markets, and investigation of corporate wrongdoing.

Too Big to Fail (2011, HBO): dramatized version of the non-fiction book. Examines the 2007-2008 Financial Crisis. Examines issues of regulatory capture, difficulties of regulating business, organizational culture, and individual ethical decision-making in crisis situations.

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