Guest Statement | An open letter to legislators and others to support the rule of law

06/07/17 6:41pm

The economic system of free enterprise and our cherished democratic institutions depend on the certainty, stability, integrity and legitimacy provided by the rule of law. The signatories to this letter urge legislators and others in public service to act decisively to promote and preserve rule of law values and other ethical principles, especially in these difficult times.

Recent actions were taken by the White House threaten to undermine the rule of law in the United States. The President, who often mentions his Wharton School education as evidence of his intelligence and business acumen, appears to demand nothing more or less than blind loyalty to his leadership.

This kind of loyalty is corrosive to the rule of law. History reveals that allegiance to a leader solely for the sake of allegiance can result in an indelible moral stain. We hope that those in public service as well as the private sector will act out of principle, and not only loyalty, to assure that the bedrock values supporting the rule of law are preserved and honored.

There are now more than 95,000 Wharton alumni who take pride in the foundational values of their alma mater. From its inception in 1881, Wharton has integrated professional and moral values in its curriculum, embracing responsibility and accountability in both private and public sectors, and supporting the rule of law in the United States and around the world. These values should not now be lost or forsaken by our leaders, whether they are in corporate boardrooms or at the highest reaches of government.

Note: This letter reflects the individual views of its signatories only and does not represent any official position of the Wharton School or the University of Pennsylvania. The Wharton School takes no political position and does not comment on its students, alumni, or faculty.

Signatories as of June 6, 2017 follow in alphabetical order. Wharton faculty (including adjunct professors and lecturers) may add their signatures via a link at the online version of this letter: http://the-rule-of-law.net/.

Gad Allon

Professor of Operations, Information and Decisions

Brian Berkey

Assistant Professor of Legal Studies and Business Ethics

Lawrence D. Brown

Miers Busch Professor

Professor of Statistics

Patricia M. Danzon

Celia Moh Professor Emeritus

Professor Emeritus of Health Care Management

Guy David

Gilbert and Shelley Harrison Associate Professor

Associate Professor of Health Management

George Day

Geoffrey T. Boisi Professor Emeritus

Professor Emeritus of Marketing

Neil Doherty

Fredrick H. Ecker Professor Emeritus of Insurance and Risk Management

Professor Emeritus of Business Economics and Public Policy

Gerald R. Faulhaber

Professor Emeritus of Business Economics and Public Policy

Professor Emeritus of Law

Marshall L. Fisher

UPS Professor

Professor of Operations, Information and Decisions

Dean P. Foster

Marie and Joseph Melone Professor Emeritus

Professor Emeritus of Statistics

Noah Gans

Anheuser-Busch Professor of Management Science

Professor of Operations, Information and Decisions

Etan Green

Assistant Professor of Operations, Information and Decisions

Joseph E. Harrington, Jr.

Patrick T. Harker Professor

Professor of Business Economics and Public Policy

Witold Henisz

Deloitte & Touche Professor

Professor of Management

John C. Hershey

Anheuser-Busch Professor Emeritus

Professor Emeritus of Operations, Information and Decisions

Barbara E. Kahn

Patty and Jay H. Baker Professor

Professor of Marketing

Director, Jay H. Baker Retailing Center

Stephen J. Kobrin

Professor Emeritus of Management

Howard Kunreuther

James G. Dinan Professor

Professor of Operations, Information and Decisions

Co-Director, Risk Management and Decision Processes Center

William S. Laufer

Julian Aresty Professor

Professor of Legal Studies and Business Ethics, Sociology, and Criminology

Director, Carol and Lawrence Zicklin Center for Business Ethics Research

Leonard M. Lodish

The Samuel R. Harrell Professor Emeritus

Professor Emeritus of Marketing

Donald F. Morrison

Professor Emeritus of Statistics

Eric W. Orts

Guardsmark Professor

Professor of Legal Studies and Business Ethics

Director, Initiative for Global Environmental Leadership

Arnold J. Rosoff

Professor Emeritus of Legal Studies and Business Ethics

Maurice Schweitzer

Cecilia Yen Koo Professor

Professor of Operations, Information and Decisions

Amy Sepinwall

James G. Campbell, Jr. Assistant Professor of Legal Studies and Business Ethics

Paul Shaman

Professor Emeritus of Statistics

Kenneth L. Shropshire

David W. Hauck Professor

Professor of Legal Studies and Business Ethics

Director, Wharton Sports Business Initiative

Deborah Small

Laura and John J. Pomerantz Professor

Professor of Marketing

Dylan S. Small

Class of 1965 Wharton Professor

Professor of Statistics

Hummy Song

Assistant Professor of Operations, Information and Decisions

J. Michael Steele

Professor of Statistics

Professor of Operations, Information and Decisions

Alan Strudler

Professor of Legal Studies and Business Ethics

Karl T. Ulrich

CIBC Endowed Professor

Professor of Operations, Information and Decisions

Michael Useem

William and Jacalyn Egan Professor

Professor of Management

Kevin Werbach

Associate Professor of Legal Studies and Business Ethics

Jerry (Yoram) Wind

Lauder Professor

Professor of Marketing

Director, SEI Center for Advanced Studies in Management