Scientific Opinion Poll: Michigan Small Business Owners Feel Disadvantaged When it Comes to the Electoral Process, Support Significant Reforms

A scientific opinion poll released today shows Michigan small business owners believe big businesses have an unfair influence on government decisions and the political process̢??‰۝which gives them a competitive advantage over small firms̢??‰۝and they believe it̢??‰?s time to take steps to improve the electoral process overall.

The poll, conducted Sept. 5-18, 2014, by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research on behalf of Small Business Majority, found nearly three-quarters of small employers (73 percent) say big businesses have a significant impact on government decisions and the political process, whereas less than one-third (32 percent) say small businesses have a significant impact on the process. A vast majority of small business owners (69 percent) say major changes are needed to the electoral system.

̢???Our democracy works best when it represents the interests of everyone,̢???? said Yolanda Williams-Davis, Senior Managing Partner at Comprehensive Management Growth Group LLC in Southfield, Michigan. ̢???But current campaign finance laws favor those with the deepest pockets, meaning that the concerns of small businesses and community members aren̢??‰?t being heard. We need to level the playing field by implementing smart campaign finance reforms.̢????

Michigan small employers overwhelmingly believe we need more transparency from special interest groups that finance election campaigns and 95 percent of small business owners support requiring special interest groups that use paid TV and mail ads during elections to publicly disclose where their money comes from. Small businesses also support publicly-financed campaigns, with a vast majority of entrepreneurs, 83 percent, who support changing the way we finance election campaigns to using only small contributions from voters and a limited amount of public funds.

̢???Small business owners are pragmatic, not ideological. And contrary to a long-held misconception, they are not reflexively anti-government,̢???? said Jesse Greenberg, Small Business Majority̢??‰?s Director, Midwest & West. ̢???They want government to understand their needs and respond in a constructive manner̢??‰۝and then act on it, by adopting policies that level the playing field with big business and bring fairness to our campaign finance laws.̢????

The survey responses reflect a bipartisan consensus, with a plurality of small business owners (45 percent) who identified as Republican, 32 percent as Democrat and 18 percent as independent or other.

For more on the Michigan state poll, please visit: http://www.smallbusinessmajority.org/small-business-research/downloads/103014-MI-election-poll-report.pdf

For the full poll report, please visit: http://www.smallbusinessmajority.org/small-business-research/government-accountability/small-business-support-for-election-reform.php