Recently, however, following an attempt by Congress to discourage unhappy shareholders from bringing law suits in federal courts, there has been a sharp rise in such cases at the state level.

ECONOMIST: The market for regulation

In America, Congress is considering several measures to bolster shareholders at managers' expense.

ECONOMIST: Shareholders v stakeholders

Shareholders might want to write their pusillanimous representatives in Congress about that.

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Those with no government capital will not face specific limits, but shareholders will have more of a say on pay, Congress willing, and regulators more leeway to alter pay policies.

ECONOMIST: Repaying TARP money

Because the government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) are congressionally chartered, "only Congress can address the inherent conflict of attempting to serve both shareholders and a public mission, " said Paulson in announcing the plan.

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That prompted outrage among Arena shareholders who have spent thousands of hours on their own scientific analyses, contacted Congress, set up an online petition and flooded the FDA with comments saying the agency didn't give the diet pill a fair hearing.

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Among the influential institutions pushing his ouster in recent weeks has been the American Federation of Labor and the Congress of Industrial Organizations, although the labor union did not call for shareholders to vote against any Citi directors.

FORBES: Off With Their Heads!

The president avoided mentioning Enron's sudden economic ruin, but he said Congress needed to pass legislation to make corporate America "more accountable to employees and shareholders and held to the highest standards of conduct, " so that workers who saved all their lives will not risk losing everything if their employer fails.

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Similar to REITs as special investment vehicles created under the Regulated Investment Company (RIC) guidelines by Congress in 1980, the BDCs are required to pay out 90% of taxable income as dividends to shareholders.

FORBES: The ABCs of BDCs: High Yields Have Their Price