Support among Americans for corporate engagement in social issues has experienced a decline since 2022, according to a recent survey conducted by the Public Affairs Council (PAC).
The findings indicate that the backing for corporate political engagement dropped to 57%, down from 66% the previous year.
The PAC highlighted that the disparity in views between Democrats and Republicans was “striking.”
Despite the GOP traditionally being more favorable towards corporate entities than their Democratic counterparts, the overall support for companies diving into provocative social debates has seen a dip.
The survey speculates that this decrease might be a result of political voices claiming companies are becoming overly “woke.”
“These and other declines in support may have resulted from the backlash caused by politicians accusing corporations of being too ‘woke,'” the results state.
The data also reveals specific areas of contention between the two major parties.
Democrats demonstrated stronger inclinations for corporations to engage in issues such as racial discrimination, gender and sexual discrimination, voting rights, human rights, access to education, environmental improvement, affordable housing, and hunger.
For instance, when it comes to the DACA program, 58% of Democrats believe corporations should advocate for it, compared to only 32% of Republicans.
However, some common ground exists.
Both parties viewed companies more positively when their advocacy focused on environmental and sustainability issues, contrasting with more divisive subjects like DACA and abortion rights.
In the context of abortion, 54% of Democrats believed corporations should participate in discussions about abortion rights, with only 27% of Republicans echoing the sentiment.
This comprehensive study was conducted from September 1-3, surveying 2,219 adults and boasts a margin of error of two percentage points.
Read the full report below:
