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Small Businesses Reject Role of Money in Politics; View Citizens United Decision as Bad for Business

Publisher: The American Sustainable Business Council, Main Street Alliance and Small Business Majority
Published: January 18, 2012

 

On Jan. 21, 2010, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in its Citizens United decision that corporations are free to spend unlimited sums of money in elections. According to opinion polling released by the American Sustainable Business Council, Main Street Alliance and Small Business Majority, two-thirds of small business owners see this decision as bad for small business. The poll also shows small business owners overwhelmingly believe corporations have been given too much freedom to spend money that directly influences political campaigns.

 

Main Findings

• Small business owners view the Citizens United decision as bad for small business: 66% of those surveyed said the two-year-old ruling that gives corporations unlimited spending power in elections is bad for small businesses. Only 9% said it was good for small business.
  
  Figure 1: Majority of small businesses don't support Citizens United decision
  
  
  

• Small business owners have a negative view of the role money plays in politics overall: 88% of respondents view the role money plays in politics negatively; 68% view it very negatively.
  
  Figure 2: Small businesses view money's role in politics negatively
  
  
  

 

Conclusion

The latest poll results reveal that small business owners believe unlimited corporate political spending in elections is detrimental to small business success. The poll found small business owners across the country are in broad disagreement with the U.S. Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision. With two-thirds of respondents believing this change is bad for small business and another 88% of them negatively viewing the role money plays in politics overall, small business owners’ perspectives are clear: Unlimited corporate political spending in elections hurts the interests of small businesses, America’s jobs engine.

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