Oct 23, 2019

Chamber of Commerce head acknowledges shortcomings of capitalism in speech

Photo: U.S. Chamber of Commerce

Suzanne Clark, president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, announced Project GO (Growth, Opportunity & Innovation) in a speech Tuesday that continued the trend of business leaders acknowledging shortcomings in capitalism.

What she's saying: Clark focused on "the businesses role in solving some of the most urgent socio-economic challenges of our day ... and the important supporting role of government."

  • "The fundamental challenge we face today is to preserve the ability of our nation’s companies, to grow, innovate, and drive prosperity under a system of free and fair capitalism, while also acknowledging and addressing the shortcomings in the system."
  • "There are better answers than sweeping government mandates. ... [N]either business nor government can solve these issues alone."

Clark pointed to "growing diversity on corporate boards —not through quotas or arbitrary mandates — but through disclosure and dialogue."

Go deeper: CEOs are America's new politicians

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Expand chart
Data: The COVID Tracking Project, state health departments; Note: Due to a database error, Missouri had a 3 day gap in reporting from Oct. 11-13; Map: Andrew Witherspoon/Axios

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