Republicans’ views on corporations have changed considerably in recent years
Christopher Tremoglie
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For decades, Republicans were known as the party of big business, the wealthy, corporations, and anything to do with money, wealth, or fiscal issues. However, according to a recent survey, respondents expressed less enthusiasm and trust in big business.
According to a new poll by Pew Research, both parties now share widespread resentment toward big business. Since 2019, Republican support for corporations, banks, and financial institutions has decreased by about 25%. Only about 40% of Republicans, Democrats, and independents now have favorable views of these monetary organizations.
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This represents a stark contrast from 2019, and the results should cause some alarm. Previously, Republicans overwhelmingly supported the financial industry, with a whopping 63% claiming these organizations positively affected the nation. This also held true for large corporations, according to the survey. Now, the percentage drops to around just 25% who have positive feelings about the contributions of large corporations in the country. The survey was conducted in October.
Additionally, this cynicism has also spilled over to opinions about Big Tech. Since 2019, there’s been about a 20% decrease in Republican support for technology companies, according to the survey. While 58% of Democrats and Republicans felt such companies were positively affecting the nation in 2019, now only about 40% of Republicans feel that way.
After the last few years of alleged censorship and the application of seemingly inconsistent community standards that led to suspending conservative content and social media accounts, this isn’t all that surprising. Quite frankly, it’s more of a surprise that the decrease was only 20% and not more. Big Tech censored Republican politicians, pundits, influencers, and even former President Donald Trump.
Granted, this survey was taken before the notorious Twitter Files dump, so it’s currently unknown the lasting impact that will have on opinions of Big Tech. Given all the revelations, one imagines the feedback would hardly be positive.
On the flip side, small business owners are viewed much more favorably. Approximately 80% of respondents reported having positive views about small businesses and their contributions to the country, according to the survey. Only 18% said they have a “negative effect.”
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One reason for this support could be because of the COVID-19 pandemic. No matter what one’s personal opinions about the pandemic, vaccines, masks, or lockdowns, most Americans agreed it was unfair for large corporations to remain open while smaller, “mom and pop” shops were forced to close.
The difference in support by Republicans for financial institutions is fascinating, however. It used to be a core tenet of their support. Does it mean messaging by Democrats is working when it comes to advancing anti-business, anti-corporation narratives? What does such a change mean for the future? Is it a permanent change or a sign of the times? Could it be the result of decades of left-wing anti-corporation indoctrination? Only time will tell.