This article reviews the history of executive compensation regulation in America and surveys the literature on the effects of these policies. CEOs are almost exclusively in the top 1% of the pay distribution, and regulation of their pay is seen as a well-targeted way of reducing income...

Many governance reform proposals are based on the view that boards have been too friendly to executives, for example, by awarding them excessive pay. Although boards are often on friendly terms with executives, it is less clear that they have systematically failed to function in the interests of...