Poll: Majority of Americans Oppose Businesses Taking Public Stances on Current Issues
According to a new poll, most Americans are against businesses taking public stances on political and social issues. This comes at a time when there is a growing backlash against corporate “wokeism.”
Surprisingly, nearly 60 percent of Americans now believe that businesses should not publicly express their opinions on current events, an increase from 52 percent last year, as revealed by a recent Gallup poll.
The findings of the poll show a clear partisan divide, with political party affiliation being the strongest indicator of whether Americans support corporations taking a public stance on current affairs.
An overwhelming 62 percent of Democrats, compared to a mere 17 percent of Republicans, support companies taking public stands on current issues.
While Americans generally oppose businesses expressing their opinions, there are a few exceptions. A majority of Americans believe that companies should weigh in on climate change (55 percent) and mental health (52 percent).
On the other hand, the issues that Americans feel businesses should avoid discussing include abortion (26 percent), political candidates (19 percent), and religion (15 percent).
The poll results, particularly the significant 8 percentage point increase in the number of Americans opposing corporations taking public stances on issues, coincide with a growing resistance against “woke” companies promoting leftist agendas.
Pushback Against ‘Woke’ Corporations
From conservative boycotts against Bud Light for their partnership with transgender social media personality Dylan Mulvaney, to lawsuits against Starbucks over their race-based hiring policies, and even Target’s $13 billion stock plunge, corporate social activism has become a prominent issue in recent times.
Target has faced numerous boycotts, including one in 2016 when they implemented a policy allowing individuals who identify as women to use women’s bathrooms. More recently, the company received criticism for selling LGBT-themed items and clothing, including those for children. This sparked conservative calls for boycotts and resulted in a significant decline in their stock price.
At the beginning of May, before the launch of their LGBT-themed collection, Target’s market capitalization was around $73 billion. As of October 4th, the company’s market valuation stands at $49.2 billion.
‘A Lot of Unhappy Cowboys’
Kevin O’Leary, a venture capitalist and television personality from “Shark Tank,” recently stated that part of Target’s multibillion-dollar stock plunge was a message from investors to corporations that push progressive leftist agendas: “Get woke, go broke.”
“If you start to get too distant or too far away from the primary mandate, the market has proven itself to really, really punish you,” Mr. O’Leary told Fox News in June.
“When you lose $13 billion of market cap, there are a lot of unhappy cowboys out there. They’re called your investors,” he added.
“I think those are just good business decisions, and it’s the right thing for society, and it’s the great thing for our brand,” Mr. Cornell said during Fortune’s “Leadership Next” podcast earlier this year.
“The things we’ve done from a DE&I [diversity, equity, and inclusion] standpoint, it’s adding value,” Mr. Cornell said, referring to policies that a number of prominent conservatives have criticized as leftist.
Experts suggest that one of the driving factors behind brands promoting transgender ideologies is the desire to score points on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) standards, which align with DEI principles.
‘It’s The Whole Country’
Scott Shepard, a fellow at the free-market public policy research group National Center for Public Policy Research, highlighted the growing opposition to ESG in the United States.
“We’re seeing something very different this time because it’s not just the conservatives, who are always interested in this sort of thing; it’s the whole country,” Mr. Shepard said, referring to the boycott calls faced by brands like Bud Light and Target for embracing left-wing principles.
ESG, which initially started as guidelines, has now evolved into mandates promoting controversial “social justice” ideologies, he explained.
Mr. Shepard also pointed out that ESG initiatives could expose businesses to legal action if they are found to breach their fiduciary responsibility to shareholders.
Recently, rating agency S&P Global decided to stop using ESG scores to assess corporate borrowers due to concerns over the usefulness of such metrics and the broader backlash against woke agendas.
“Effective immediately, we are no longer publishing new ESG credit indicators in our reports or updating outstanding ESG credit indicators,” the rating agency announced in a statement obtained by The Epoch Times.
The agency hinted that the lack of effectiveness was the reason for dropping the ESG scoring system, which has faced strong criticism from conservatives who view it as a manifestation of leftist or even neo-Marxist agendas within corporations.
S&P Global, one of the world’s largest raters of corporate debt, faced calls for an investigation last year by a coalition of Republican attorneys general.
“Too many consumers and investors have been hurt by the woke ESG movement’s obsession with radical social change and willingness to ignore the law,” said Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in a statement in September 2022.
“We’re investigating S&P Global to find out whether they’ve engaged in the types of destructive, illegal business practices that are so pervasive in the ESG movement. If so, they will have to answer for their actions.”
The investigation is still ongoing.
Several other companies, including PetSmart, Chick-fil-A, and Walmart, have also faced boycott calls due to alleged support of leftist agendas.
What is one concern critics of corporate “wokeism” have regarding businesses taking public stances on sensitive issues?
Ejection of corporate “wokeism.” The term “wokeism” refers to when companies align themselves with progressive political and social causes, often through public statements or advertisements.
The backlash against corporate “wokeism” can be attributed to several factors. Firstly, many Americans view businesses primarily as economic entities, whose main purpose is to provide goods and services and generate profits. They argue that companies should focus on their core competencies and refrain from getting involved in political and social debates.
Secondly, critics of corporate “wokeism” argue that businesses taking public stances on sensitive issues can alienate a significant portion of their customer base. By expressing opinions on controversial topics, companies risk polarizing their customer base and potentially losing customers who hold different views. This can have negative consequences for their bottom line.
Furthermore, some Americans view corporate “wokeism” as insincere and opportunistic. They believe that businesses often adopt progressive stances not out of genuine conviction, but to improve their image or attract certain demographics. This perceived lack of authenticity can further fuel skepticism and opposition towards companies engaging in political and social issues.
The partisan divide revealed by the poll results also highlights the role of political ideology in shaping opinions on this matter. Democrats, who tend to lean more progressive, are more supportive of corporations taking public stances on current affairs. Republicans, on the other hand, who generally hold more conservative views, are more likely to oppose businesses expressing their opinions.
Despite the overall opposition to businesses taking public stances, the poll shows that there are certain issues that Americans believe companies should engage with. Climate change and mental health, for example, are seen as important topics where corporate involvement can have a positive impact. These findings suggest that Americans are not entirely against businesses addressing societal issues, as long as they are deemed relevant and appropriate.
However, there are certain topics that Americans feel businesses should avoid discussing. Abortion, political candidates, and religion are among the issues that a significant percentage of Americans believe companies should refrain from taking a public stance on. These topics are often highly divisive, and companies wading into these debates can ignite controversy and intensify divisions.
In conclusion, the recent Gallup poll indicates that a majority of Americans are against businesses taking public stances on political and social issues. The growing backlash against corporate “wokeism” reflects concerns about businesses straying from their core functions, alienating customers, and being perceived as insincere. While there are exceptions, such as climate change and mental health, Americans generally believe that companies should avoid getting involved in sensitive and divisive topics. As political and social issues continue to dominate public discourse, the question of whether businesses should express their opinions will likely remain a contentious and debated issue.
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