U.S. Federal Government Measures In Promoting Corporate Social Responsibility

The growth of world trade and the sharp rise of direct investment from developed countries to developing countries have posed new challenges toward issues relating to corporate social responsibility (CSR). CSR-related issues address social concerns associated with business operation, such as labor rights, environment protection, community development, and human rights, etc. It is undoubted that businesses play a major role in fulfilling their social responsibilities, but there are mixed and often contradictory views on the proper role which government should play in conducting CSR.The United States is one of the countries that boast the most comprehensive CSR-related laws, regulations and the most mature CSR practices. Many American scholars have devoted substantial efforts on CSR research from both theoretical and empirical perspectives, and have yielded rich research findings. In the United States, companies, as the major players in fulfilling social responsibilities, are aware of the significance of CSR which has been institutionalized and carried into practices in their business operations home and abroad. Meanwhile, the American governments at different levels, on a macro level, have established a relatively systematical and comprehensive legal system and a platform for partnerships between government and business to promote CSR practices. These two institutional structures combine and complement with each other to give impetus to the development of CSR in the United States.This study reviews CSR theories and their development in the United States, and illustrates the relevant CSR-related laws, policies and programs developed by the U.S. federal legislative and executive branches. It is in the hope that the Chinese government and businesses may take lessons from the successful experiences and mature theories from their counterparts, and may make measures to improve the disadvantageous situation Chinese businesses face when fulfilling their social responsibilities. Thereby, the goals of structuring a regulatory and administrative environment for CSR based on Chinese social and economic conditions, regulating corporate actions, promoting public good, and enhancing China's international competitiveness, might be achieved.