Political positioning is the deployment of a firm’s political tools, such as its political reputation, government relations and public affairs professionals, political capital, campaign financing, and political clout, to put the firm in the most advantageous [Page 570]place at the most advantageous time to achieve the most advantageous public policy solutions to its commercial problems. It is about seeking and securing competitive political advantage over politicians and its peer opposition. Effective political positioning demands that firms mesh their commercial goals with their political surroundings. It requires firms to be sensitive to how the commercial world affects the political world, and vice versa. It requires firms to judge the prevailing political outlook as to whether it is conducive to corporate initiatives or whether the public mood ...