WASHINGTON, DC – Ahead of Super Tuesday, a new poll finds that consumers are deeply concerned about the state of democracy and strongly support action by businesses to protect democratic institutions. The poll, conducted by Morning Consult on behalf of the Public Private Strategies Institute, sheds light on consumer expectations for businesses to actively engage in protecting and upholding democracy in the United States. The newly released research builds on previous surveys from the Business & Democracy Initiative that show business leaders and consumers alike know that a strong democracy is essential to a strong economy. Read the Full Survey Report Here The survey questioned more than 2,500 consumers across the country and shows strong consumer preferences for business action to prevent the spread of disinformation on social media, encourage employee civic education and participation, and take a public stance in support of democratic institutions. Key Survey Findings: Consumers are deeply concerned with the state of American democracy: 84% of consumers express concerns about the state of democracy in the U.S., with 86% of Democrats and 82% of Republicans sharing this concern. Consumers believe businesses have a responsibility to act to protect democracy: 76% of consumers believe businesses should ensure safe and fair elections. 72% of consumers support businesses speaking out publicly about threats to democracy. 67% of consumers want businesses to influence federal policies related to democracy. 69% of consumers expect businesses to take action at the state level. Consumers support concrete actions by businesses to support democracy, including shifting advertising and donation dollars to support democratic ideals: 74% of consumers support businesses that pull advertising dollars from social media platforms that do little to prevent the spread of disinformation. 65% of consumers support business donations to political candidates or organizations that work to protect democracy. 75% agree employees should have time off for political engagement. 74% support businesses publicly endorsing democratic principles. Rhett Buttle, President of Public Private Strategies Institute and Co-Founder of the Business & Democracy Initiative : "These findings make it clear that a thriving democracy is not just a political concern, but an economic imperative. The overwhelming majority of consumers recognize the link between democracy and a strong economy. This data should be a wake-up call for businesses as we approach the 2024 elections. Consumers believe that businesses have a duty to ensure fair elections and protect democratic institutions, and businesses need to act accordingly.” ###
On September 28, 2023, PPSI hosted a virtual event, The Future of Benefits: Emerging Opportunities & Innovations for Hispanic-Owned Businesses. During Hispanic Heritage Month, this virtual event examined trends in the healthcare market for small- and medium-sized employers. The event featured an expert panel discussion on the unique challenges and opportunities in expanding healthcare coverage among Hispanic business owners and their employees, including the fix for the “family glitch," new health reimbursement arrangement options, the Inflation Reduction Act, and enrollment in the Marketplace. The webinar highlighted the evolution of the employer market and new choices in the small and medium-sized market for small business owners. Speakers included: Ramiro Cavazos, President & CEO, U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Dr. Erika Gonzalez, Owner, South Texas Allergy and Asthma Medical Professionals (STAAMP) and Co-Chair, Small Business for America’s Future Katherine Hempstead, Senior Policy Advisor at Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Marvin Figueroa, Director of Intergovernmental and External Affairs, US Department of Health and Human Services C. LeRoy Cavazos Reyna, Senior Advisor, Public Private Strategies (moderator) You can watch a full recording of the event below:
Readout of PPSI Business Leader Briefing with Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan WASHINGTON D.C. – On Wednesday, June 21, 2023, Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan joined the Public Private Strategies Institute (PPSI) for a Business Leader Briefing. Chair Khan was joined in discussion by Rhett Buttle, President of PPSI. The virtual event was joined by hundreds of business leaders to learn more about the FTC’s priorities and initiatives, and how the agency’s work impacts communities across the country. Chair Khan provided remarks on the history and the core missions of the FTC, as well as how her agency is dedicated to not only protecting consumers and consumer interests but also businesses who are trying to find their space in the marketplace. “Today the FTC enforces antitrust laws, which are really about promoting competition, making sure that businesses are able to compete on the merits.” said Chair Khan. “If somebody has a good idea and they’re able to get financing for that idea, the goal is to make sure whether they succeed or fail is linked to the success of their idea and not whether they are upsetting one of the existing giants.” Chair Khan discussed the agency’s recently proposed rule to ban non-compete clauses, current policy initiatives to promote consumer and small business safety within the digital space, and useful tools and services for small businesses nationwide. Additionally, Chair Khan had a conversation with Buttle and answered questions from small business owners and business leaders, about topics ranging from how the FTC works to support small businesses, to how the FTC approaches the balance of ensuring consumers have protections while supporting the usage of tools to drive small business growth. “During the pandemic many small businesses saw huge digital acceleration and a lot of Main Streets really turned to digital tools,” said Buttle . “We hear a lot of businesses empowered by digital tools, but also businesses struggling with Digital Tools. I’m curious how does the FTC approach this balance of protecting consumers and small employers, while at the same time allowing support for the many small businesses who are being accelerated by the digital economy?” “One of the top sources of complaints that we get from smaller businesses in the space of digital markets is that a lot of the key tools that you need to compete and access digital markets are controlled by a relatively small number of companies, so that’s one of the things that we’re looking at,” said Chair Khan. You can view an event of the recording below Note, this conversation was originally recorded on June 21, 2023.
Public Private Strategies Institute and U.S. Department of Commerce Announce New Collaboration to Educate Business Owners on New Federal Economic Investments & Pilot Strategies to Accelerate “Good Jobs” Partnership Will Reach Hundreds of Thousands of Businesses, Inform and Connect Federal Investments & Pilot Programs to Strengthen Employers & Workers WASHINGTON, DC (June 20, 2023)– Today, Public Private Strategies Institute (PPSI) and the U.S. Department of Commerce announced a new collaboration to expand public awareness of the Department’s programs, priorities, and new initiatives. The historic economic investments made over the past two years include tens of billions of dollars in funding opportunities flowing through the Department of Commerce. These resources have the potential to transform communities and strengthen our economy, but only if business owners have access to information about new programs and are connected with the tools to take advantage of them. That’s why Public Private Strategies Institute and the Department of Commerce will jointly host a series of events that bring together senior administration officials, business leaders, nonprofit leaders, and small employers – these events will reach hundreds of thousands of business owners across the PPSI and Department of Commerce networks. In addition, Reimagine Main Street , a project of PPSI, and the Department of Commerce will engage small employers on job quality and design pilots to advance “Good Jobs.” Ultimately, the partnership seeks to accelerate small business awareness and adoption of Good Jobs Principles through the DOC’s Job Quality Toolkit . U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo: “Thanks to President Biden we have seen a historic small business boom over the past two years, and the Department of Commerce is committed to ensuring this boom translates into high-quality job opportunities for workers across the country. As the Department and entire Administration continue to make investments in America, including in our small businesses, we are taking steps like this collaboration and our Job Quality Toolkit to ensure small business owners have the tools and knowledge they need to create good jobs and grow economic opportunity in every community.” Rhett Buttle, President, Public Private Strategies Institute: “Major investments like the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, CHIPS & Science Act, and Inflation Reduction Act have enabled the Department of Commerce to rapidly develop and deploy new programs and funding opportunities for businesses across the country. For these opportunities to be implemented efficiently, effectively, and equitably, there needs to be dedicated and consistent outreach and education to help diverse constituencies of business owners access these generational investments. “That’s why PPSI is so excited about this partnership to engage our diverse network of hundreds of thousands of business owners to expand public awareness of these historic economic opportunities.” Tammy Halevy, Executive Director of Reimagine Main Street, a project of the Public Private Strategies Institute: “Reimagine Main Street looks forward to our partnership with the Department of Commerce to improve job quality among small employers. More than half of the nation’s 134 million employees work for firms with fewer than 100 employees. These firms and workers are the lifeblood of MLK Boulevards, Cesar Chavez Ways, Chinatowns, and Main Streets across the country. However, research shows these workers are less likely to be in ‘good jobs’ compared to workers employed by larger firms, and represent a significant share of low-wage workers. “Our collaboration with the Department of Commerce will leverage our network to engage diverse business owners across the country and pilot strategies to increase the quality of all jobs.” Earlier this year, Reimagine Main Street launched a project to improve job quality with support from The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Reimagine Main Street’s previous research on Good Jobs and small employers found that job quality is a significant driver of business performance. As a result, efforts to advance good jobs should accelerate growth and increase the profitability of small businesses, create incentives for already strong small companies to improve job quality, and stimulate innovations across markets and policy to make affordable benefits available at scale. This partnership between Reimagine Main Street and the Department of Commerce builds on the insights from that work. ### About Public Private Strategies Institute The Public Private Strategies Institute (PPSI) is an independent research and education organization. PPSI engages in educational activities concerning the public and private sectors’ roles in advancing societal change. PPSI explores best practices and trends through research, publications, and educational events. Additionally, it produces educational and informational content that will educate public and private sector actors about their capacity to be agents of social change; and conduct research into the existing landscape of public and private social responsibility and the potential for the future. For more information, please visit ppsi.org . About Reimagine Main Street Reimagine Main Street , a project of the Public Private Strategies Institute, is a multi-stakeholder, cross-sector initiative that brings small business leaders, investors, experts, and policymakers together with business owners and the people they employ. We engage diverse stakeholders and develop data-driven insights to shape and inform market opportunities and policy. Together, we are working to ensure MLK Boulevards, Cesar Chavez Ways, Chinatowns, and Main Streets prosper, and that the benefits ripple across communities and throughout the economy. About the U.S. Department of Commerce The Department of Commerce’s mission is to create the conditions for economic growth and opportunity for all communities. Through its 13 bureaus, the Department works to drive U.S. economic competitiveness, strengthen domestic industry, and spur the growth of quality jobs in all communities across the country. The Department serves as the voice of business in the Federal Government, and at the same time, the Department touches and serves every American every day.
On Monday, May 15, 2023, PPSI hosted a virtual event, The Future of Benefits: Opportunities in Healthcare Benefits for Small Businesses. During National Small Business Month, this virtual event examined trends in the healthcare market for small- and medium-sized employers. The event featured an expert panel discussion on the challenges and opportunities in expanding healthcare coverage among small businesses and their employees, including the fix for the “family glitch," new health reimbursement arrangement options, the Inflation Reduction Act, and enrollment in the Marketplace. The event highlighted the evolution of the employer market and new choices in the small and medium-sized market for small business owners. Speakers included: Bryan Giaimo, General Manager of Platform, Stride Health Katherine Hempstead, Senior Policy Advisor, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Dr. Ellen Montz, Deputy Administrator and Director of the Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Michael San Juan, President of the Philippine American Chamber of Commerce of Metro Washington, D.C
On Thursday, April 27, 2023, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and Public Private Strategies Institute (PPSI) convened leaders from across government and business for a discussion of community initiatives and resources as part of Building a Better America: A Small Business Resource Community. The discussion focused on a celebration of Access to Capital Resources and a Pre-Celebration of National Small Business Week! The webinar featured remarks from: David Brown, Director of Policy, Office of the Administrator, SBA Christina Hale, Associate Administrator, Office of Communications and Public Liaison, SBA