A National Small Business Association (NSBA) survey has determined small-business owners’ political involvement has dropped in nearly every category.
NSBA officials said the 2018 Politics of Small Business Survey noted, from rates of voting to interacting with lawmakers to making financial contributions, small-business owners are less engaged than two years ago.
“Small-business owners’ political positions are wildly diverse and they are not beholden to any one political party,” Todd McCracken, NSBA president, said. “Unfortunately, one thing they all agree on, regardless of party affiliation, is that policymakers don’t really understand small business.”
The survey revealed small-businesses owners of all political affiliations place a higher level of importance on economic and fiscal issues than they do on national security and social issues. It also showed that when it comes to specific policies, small-business owners agree controlling healthcare costs is paramount.
As it related to rating policymakers, the survey added small-business owners had higher marks for their elected Senators and Representatives but expressed decreased marks for the collective bodies.
“More and more, small-business owners think the political system is broken,” NSBA Chair Cynthia Kay said. “Eighty-three percent say politics have become more partisan in the last ten years and the majority support limiting corporate campaign contributions.”
NSBA, a nonpartisan organization, has 65,000 members representing every state and every industry in the United States and advocates on behalf of America’s entrepreneurs.