POLITICS AND THE BOARD: From guns to the impending 2020 elections, boards are plodding through political issues like never before.

• Author: Tahmincioglu, Eve
• Position: THE CHARACTER OF THE CORPORATION

Whether directors like it or not, politics is increasingly on the boardroom table, and political issues and decisions made by corporate leaders are increasingly in a fishbowl of intense public scrutiny.

How do directors plod through the seemingly never-ending political ups and downs, and what path should a board take when it comes to a host of social issues, such as guns or LGBTQ rights? And how do they go about supporting or opposing regulations, or environmental, social and governance issues without ending up in a political firestorm?

For the last year, Directors & Boards has dedicated its coverage to something we've called "The Character of the Corporation: How companies balance profits and social purpose," and many of the stories we've researched have had political implications.

That's why we decided to focus this final issue on...