Americanswantbusinesstopromoteprosperityandstabilityand protectdemocracybutseeanarrowerroleforCorporateAmericato influencepoliticalcultureandaddresssocialissues.
AstheTrump2.0administrationneared 100daysinoffice,WeberShandwick’s moderncorporateadvisoryunit— WeberAdvisory—partneredwithKRC ResearchtosurveyAmericanconsumers andemployeesontheroleofbusinessin arapidlyevolvingpoliticalculture.The findingsrevealthatpublicopinionis convergingonacoreagendafor responsiblebusinessprioritiesthat protectemployeehealth,safety,jobs andwageswhilecreatingvaluefor stakeholders.Thespecificsofhow businessesshouldalignthosepriorities
withconsumerandemployeevalues broadlydividealongpartisanlines, leavingbusinessleadersbalancing competingpolarizedpressuresasthey navigatedisruptionanduncertainty. Withtrustintraditionalinstitutions declining,businesseshavebeengranted increasedmoralauthorityandpublic licensetoleadoncriticalissues affectingtheeconomyanddemocracy–buttheymustengagethoughtfullyon importantsocietalissuestomaintain theirhard-wonworkplaceharmony.
ofAmericans—bothconsumersandemployees—seebusiness asaconstructiveforceinsocietyandbelievecompanies shouldaddressimportantsocietalissues,butconsensuson theroleofCorporateAmericatodayisaboutkeepingthe workplacepoliticallyneutralandspeakingoutwhenactions directlyimpactthecompany,itsvaluesanditspeople.
Whichisclosertoyourownopinionaboutcompanies youpurchasefrom:(AmongU.S.adults)
Americansfeelasenseofwidespreadpolarizationandvolatility,with sharppartisanshiftsinoptimismlevelsandperceptionsofthetoneof thenationalpoliticalcultureasthepresidencytransitionedfrom TrumptoBidenandbacktoTrump.
Howoptimisticareyoufeelingabout… ThecurrentdirectionoftheUnitedStates?
(AmongU.S.adults)
Feb2021May2021Aug2021Nov2021Jun2022Nov2022Feb2024Apr2025
PulsePoll:Wave19|C130.Howoptimisticareyoufeelingabout:ThecurrentdirectionoftheUnitedStates(Totaln=1,012,Democratn=456,Republicann=393)
Thegeneraltoneinourcountryisciviland respectful(TotalAgree)
(AmongU.S.adults)
Sept.2-32020Apr.29-May22021Apr.25-272025
PulsePoll:Wave19|C9L:Towhatextentdoyouagreeordisagreewiththefollowingstatements:Thegeneraltoneinourcountryiscivilandrespectful. (Totaln=1,012,Democratn=456,Republicann=393)
Overall,aslightmajorityofAmericansreportthattheyfeelasenseofpessimismabout theeconomy,costofliving,businessclimateandAmerica’sstatusintheworld,but thelevelofworryvarieswidelydependingonpoliticalaffiliation.
Thinkingaboutoureconomyandbusinessclimate,howmuchdo youworryabouteachofthefollowing?
(AmongU.S.adults)
TherarebrightspotishowAmericanemployeesfeelabouttheirownjobs (60%optimistic)andthecompaniesororganizationstheyworkfor(66%optimistic),evenas 52%ofemployeesworryaboutbudgetcutsandlayoffswithintheirorganizations.Similarto surveytrendsduringtheCOVID-19pandemic,intimesofuncertaintyemployeesseemtolook totheiremployersforstability.
Consumersandemployeesbelievebusinessesshould keeptheworkplacecivilandpoliticallyneutral.
Despitegrowingexpectationsforcompaniestoaddressimportantsocietalissues,astrong bipartisanmajorityofAmericanswantworkplacestoremainpoliticallyneutral,with63%of Democratsand74%ofRepublicanssurveyedsupportingworkplaceneutrality.Tohelp maintaincivility,manyemployees(72%)reportthattheyavoiddiscussingsensitivetopicsat workandmorebroadlyreporttheyarenowmorefearfulofexpressingtheirpoliticalopinions onlineorinpublic–especiallyDemocrats(54%)andGenZ(51%)
Whatactions,ifany,shouldbusinessesandemployerstakeduring theTrumpadministration?
(AmongU.S.adults)
PulsePoll:Wave19|C92.Whatactions,ifany,shouldbusinessesandemployerstakeduringtheTrumpadministration?(Totaln=1,012,Democratn=456,Republicann=393)
Businesseshavebeengrantedgreaterpubliclicense— andresponsibility—toleadonanarrowsetofcritical societalissues,buttheymustengagethoughtfully.
Amajority(80%)ofAmericanssaybusiness leadersmusttakeastandtostabilizeand protecttheeconomyand75%saythesame aboutprotectingdemocracy.Ararecrosspartyconsensusexists,with82%of Democratsand83%ofRepublicans surveyedsayingitisimportantfor businessestopromoteprosperityand stability.Beyondsafeguardingthose
broaderdemocraticideals,amajorityof Americanssaybusinessesshouldengage onanarrowlydefinedsetofsocietalissues relatedprimarilytoemployeesandthe workplace.Whenitcomestoenvironmental sustainability,diversityandinclusionand LGBTQ+equalrights,respondentssplitalong partisanlines.
Howimportantisitforcompaniesandorganizationstodoeachofthefollowing? (PercentImportant)(AmongU.S.adults)
PRIORITIZEEMPLOYEEHEALTHANDSAFETY
HAVEZEROTOLERANCEFORDISCRIMINATION ANDHARASSMENT
COMMITTOFAIRPAYFORALLEMPLOYEES
COMMITTOCOMPENSATIONANDBENEFITS THATKEEPUPWITHRISINGCOSTS PRIORITIZEEMPLOYEEWELLNESS,MENTAL HEALTHANDWORK/LIFEBALANCE PROTECTEMPLOYEEJOBS
PROMOTEPROSPERITYANDSTABILITY
COMMITTOPAYEQUITYFORALLEMPLOYEES CREATEACIVILENVIRONMENTWHERE DIFFERINGVIEWPOINTSARERESPECTED
INCREASEVALUEFORCUSTOMERS, EMPLOYEESANDOTHERSTAKEHOLDERS
PulsePoll:Wave19|C11.Howimportantisitfor[CONSUMERS:companiesandorganizations][EMPLOYEES:thecompanyororganizationyouworkfor]todoeachof thefollowing?(Totaln=1,012)
Bothconsumersandemployeesbelievebusinessesand employersshouldspeakoutwhenactionsdirectlyimpact companiesandtheiremployees.
Astrongmajority(79%)ofAmericanssay thatbusinessesandbusinessleaders shouldleveragetheirpositionstoinfluence conversationsrelatedtoPresidentTrump’s executiveactions,butAmericansare scattered(oftenalongpartisanlines)on
whereCorporateAmericashouldexertits influence.Americansbelievebusinesses shouldspeakoutwhenactionsdirectly impactthecompanyanditsemployees butdosoinacautiouswaytoavoid retaliation.
Whatactions,ifany,shouldbusinessesandemployerstakeduring theTrumpadministration?(AmongU.S.adults)
SPEAKOUTWHENTHEYAGREEWITHPRESIDENT TRUMPANDHISADMINISTRATION’SACTIONS
SPEAKOUTWHENTHEYDISAGREEWITHPRESIDENT TRUMPANDHISADMINISTRATION’SACTIONS
SPEAKOUTWHENACTIONSTAKENBYPRESIDENT TRUMPDIRECTLYIMPACTCOMPANYEMPLOYEES
SPEAKOUTWHENACTIONSTAKENBYPRESIDENT TRUMPDIRECTLYIMPACTCONSUMERS
FOLLOWPRESIDENTIALDIRECTIVESEVENIFTHE DIRECTIVESAREBEINGCHALLENGEDINTHECOURTS
BECAUTIOUSABOUTHOWTHECOMPANYSPEAKS OUTABOUTISSUESTOAVOIDRETALIATIONFROMTHE TRUMPADMINISTRATION
FEWTHINKCOMPANIES SHOULDFOLLOWPRESIDENTIAL DIRECTIVESTHATAREBEING CHALLENGEDINTHECOURTS
ANDFEWADVISEHESITANCY TOAVOIDRETALIATION
PulsePoll:Wave19|C92.Whatactions,ifany,shouldbusinessesandemployerstakeduringtheTrumpadministration?(Totaln=1,012,Employedn=497)
Method:KRCResearchconductedasurveyamong1,012U.S.adults,18yearsofageandover,fromApril25to27,2025. ThesurveydataisdemographicallyrepresentativeoftheU.S.adultpopulation.Approximatelyhalfofthesample(497)areemployed. ThisPulseonAmericanationalsurveyisthe19thinstallmentsinceMarch2020.
WeberShandwick’smodern,globalcorporateaffairsadvisoryunit—WeberAdvisory—is designedfortherealitiesoftoday’shigh-stakesbusinessenvironmentamidadynamic culturalcontext.WeberAdvisoryoffersacomprehensivesuiteofservicesand technologybuilttoenablecorporateandpublicaffairsexecutivestocreateand protectstakeholdervalueincriticalsituations,includinggeopoliticalissues,mergers andacquisitions,stakeholderactivism,majorcrises,leadershiptransitionsandbusiness transformations.
Learnmoreatwebershandwick.com/expertise/weber-advisory