Americans are not confident in the federal government's ability to address society's problems and would prefer major employers take on these roles, according to the 2012 Public Affairs Pulse survey by nonpartisan Public Affairs Council and Princeton Survey Research Associates International.
"Americans have serious doubts about whether the federal government can effectively handle the challenges the nation faces," says Doug Pinkham, president of Public Affairs Council. "As a result, the public is turning to the business sector and saying, 'The government can't seem to manage these things, so what can you do to help?'"
Of the respondents, only 41 percent say they have some or a lot of confidence that the government can handle the country's most critical problems, and 58 percent say they have little or no confidence regarding this issue.
Recommended For You
Among the responsibilities respondents want to see employers handle are community services at 72 percent, improved health care at 68 percent and better education at 66 percent. Another 67 percent of respondents report holding favorable opinions of major employers, though they continue to be concerned regarding corporate power and profits. Still, 52 percent of respondents say federal regulation of business is a greater threat as opposed to 40 percent of respondents that are more concerned about corporate power.
This positive attitude about major employers is consistent across age groups as favorable opinions are held by 71 percent of respondents age 36-47, 68 percent of respondents age 18-35, 67 percent of respondents age 48-66 and 64 percent of respondents past age 66.
While respondents are calling for more employer action, some still want more regulation for specific issues. For example, 44 percent of respondents believe the government is not doing enough regarding environmental protection while 33 percent say it is taking on the right action. Only 22 percent of respondents say the government is doing too much in that area.
Although 54 percent of respondents think more negatively of employers that hire lobbyists, they say doing so is acceptable for certain goals: protecting company jobs at 81 percent, opening new markets at 78 percent, creating a level playing field at 71 percent, reducing business costs at 63 percent and securing government funding at 52 percent. Employers financially involved in political campaigns face scrutiny as 57 percent of respondents say they would feel less favorable toward employers that paid for ads backing political candidates.
"Our hope is that by asking these in-depth questions, we can gain a more robust understanding of what Americans think about the business sector, the federal government and the interrelationship between the two," Pinkham says. "And with this understanding, leaders in business and government can improve how they respond to the public's concerns."
© 2025 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.
