A Government that Serves

The health of our democracy and economy depends on core constitutional principles: rule of law, separation of powers, fair and equal application of the law, and strong guardrails against corruption. Public institutions should operate free from undue political or personal interference. Each branch of government must serve as a meaningful check on the others, and the same rules must apply to everyone.

Today, these principles are eroding. An overconcentration of power in the executive branch—and a growing disregard for law and precedent—has opened the door to the weaponization of federal agencies for retribution, misuse of public resources for personal gain, and favored treatment for political allies.¹ The Supreme Court has failed to serve as a meaningful check. When lower courts have attempted to respond to executive overreach, they have faced political attacks and open defiance of their orders.² A weakened Congress, meanwhile, has often been on the sidelines—unable or unwilling to exercise meaningful oversight or legislate on the issues that matter most.

These trends threaten our systems of governance and meritocratic capitalism.

Corruption and cronyism are also undermining the relationship between government and business. The federal government has punished businesses that won’t bend to its will and rewarded those that do.³ This kind of political interference in markets has increased risk premiums, distorted competition,⁴ and undermined America’s reputation as the world’s most attractive business environment.⁵

This moment calls for a reset: a bipartisan commitment to integrity across all three branches of government and the business community. That means consistent enforcement of laws, reliable oversight, and a public sector that earns the trust of the American people and our global partners. Restoring the rule of law will require both new legislation and the rebuilding of institutional norms—and it will take courageous, principled leadership from those with the greatest influence in business, government, and civil society.

Leadership Now believes the legitimacy of American institutions depends on how power is exercised. Three principles guide our approach:

Upholding these responsibilities is a shared obligation of government and business.

Fairness

Consistent and impartial application of the law is the bedrock of our constitutional system. Key measures include:

• Protect the independence and impartiality of law enforcement, including the Department of Justice (DOJ).

  • Ban political or personal interference in prosecutorial decisions—such as pressuring the DOJ to investigate, charge, or protect specific individuals or entities.
  • Codify protections for the Attorney General and enact statutory safeguards for special counsels.
  • Establish internal firewalls between the White House and law enforcement agencies.

• Ensure impartial judicial decision-making.

  • Adopt a binding code of ethics, recusal standard, and gift ban for the Supreme Court, with clear consequences for violations.
  • Reform the federal judicial nomination process to give bipartisan and independent organizations a stronger role in nominations and vetting.

• Strengthen checks and balances.

  • Reform the Supreme Court through measures such as term limits.
  • Protect the independence of federal agencies through stronger statutory safeguards against political interference.
  • Limit the president's power to delay, cancel, or redirect appropriated funds without congressional approval.

• Promote institutional accountability.

  • Strengthen whistleblower protections by expanding who is covered, clarifying what disclosures are protected, securing reporting channels, and reinforcing protections against retaliation.
  • Enhance the independence and authority of inspectors general under the Securing Inspector General Independence Act of 2022.
  • Narrowly define and limit presidential emergency powers by law.

Transparency

Clear and timely visibility into government processes, implemented efficiently and effectively. Key measures include:

• Strengthen financial disclosure requirements for government officials.
• Require documentation, public disclosure, and congressional notification for key leadership changes at the DOJ.
• Strengthen statutory safeguards for the independence of governmental data and statistical offices.
• Enact statutory safeguards for press freedom and media access.

Public Integrity

Decisions on laws and policies are made free from conflicts of interest and in service of the public interest. Key measures include:

• Strengthen conflict-of-interest laws for the executive branch.

  • Extend federal conflict-of-interest laws to the president, vice president, and their immediate family members.
  • Establish clear prohibitions on self-dealing and financial conflicts for senior executive officials and their immediate families.
  • Require senior executive branch officials to divest significant assets or place them in a blind trust.

• Strengthen revolving door rules to close loopholes and improve enforcement.

• Address financial conflicts.

  • Ban individual stock trading and trading in political or policy-contingent prediction markets by members of Congress, senior executive officials, federal judges, and designated senior staff.

• Establish independent oversight and enforcement.

  • Create an independent federal ethics enforcement body with subpoena power and the authority to investigate violations and refer them for prosecution.

• Limit presidential pardons.

  • Reform the presidential pardon process to increase transparency, ensure fairness, and prevent abuse.

Business Can Play an Important Role

As business leaders, we recognize the need for a change in our own culture. Our responsibility to shareholders compels us to support the institutional foundations of long-term business performance, including the rule of law, regulatory integrity, and a stable, predictable system of governance. Business leaders should therefore avoid participating in or legitimizing practices that undermine fair and impartial governance, and instead commit to:

• Competing for public contracts, benefits, and investment through open, lawful, and merit-based processes.
• Disclosing and ensuring transparent governance of all political activity.
• Escalating coercive or irregular government demands through appropriate legal and institutional channels.
• Maintaining internal controls and engaging transparently in politics to avoid becoming a tool or beneficiary of coercion, cronyism, or corruption.
• Working with industry associations and peers to make these practices the norm.

The following bipartisan efforts align with our position that the U.S. government must reestablish a commitment to fairness, transparency, and public integrity.