A new survey shows that more Americans are turning against efforts by big corporations to get involved in the political process and advocacy for major political issues.
As reported by Axios, the new poll from the Public Affairs Council shows that 57% of Americans support major companies getting involved in the issue of race relations, compared to 66% who supported such efforts last year. On the issue of abortion, only 36% of Americans support the input of big corporations, down from 41% in 2022.
The findings appear to reflect a growing backlash against major brands speaking out on politics, which has led to several companies facing widespread backlash and boycott efforts. Most prominently, the beer company Anheuser-Busch suffered massive losses after putting the face of transgender activist Dylan Mulvaney on its cans for a “pride month” partnership. Another one is the retail giant Target, which saw its sales decrease significantly after it attempted to promote a line of pro-LGBTQ clothing, including pro-transgender clothing targeted at children.
Respondents were divided heavily along partisan lines. When asked about corporations’ involvement in the abortion issue, 54% of Democrats supported it, while 73% of Republicans opposed it. Meanwhile, in a rare example of bipartisan support, most respondents agreed with companies getting involved in so-called “global warming” issues, including 75% of Democrats and 57% of Republicans.
Overall, the poll determined that businesses still remain one of the most trusted sources of information in the country, ranking third behind friends and family members.
“There’s a lot of confidence in businesses and support around what they do,” said Laura Horsley, Senior Director of the Public Affairs Council. “I think that translates a little bit, and when customers hear information coming from a trusted business, their trust and confidence in the message carries over.”
The survey, conducted by the Public Affairs Council and Morning Consult, featured a sample size of 2,219 American adults.