Debates over corporate social responsibility often begin with two contrasting views regarding the scope of business obligations. One perspective, typically associated with Milton Friedman,18 claims near-exclusive primacy for the fiduciary obligations owed to a firm’s owners (shareholders for publicly traded companies). A differing viewpoint, offered by writers such as Edward Freeman,19 asserts broader corporate responsibilities to stakeholders (incorporating groups such as employees, consumers, suppliers and local communities, along with shareholders).The shareholder perspective focuses on a firm’s founding financial contract and expected return on investment, while the stakeholder approach uses social contract notions to extend responsibilities to groups that significantly affect, or are affected by, the corporation’s activities. Other factors are used to evaluate the nature of a firm’s responsibilities and the types of obligation falling on other relevant actors. Issues pertaining to business ethics in a global political economy generally encompass multiple public and private sector actors with varying levels of responsibility.