TREND TRACKER | DATA INSIGHTS | POLITICAL APPROVAL POLL: BOSTON, MA, February 25, 2022: Given that 2022 is a very significant U.S. election year, we have just conducted the first of several political approval polls planned for this year.

Alignable's Political Approval Poll collected sentiments among 7,326 small business owners randomly selected and surveyed from 1/29/22 to 2/24/22.

The poll asked, "Do you think the following politicians are doing a good job for your small business? Please click approve if you're happy with their performance or disapprove, if they're not meeting your expectations."

The politicians listed were: President Joseph Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, federal senators, federal representatives, "your governor," and "your local representatives."

Feds Across The Board: Low Approval Ratings

On average, only 16% of the small business owners polled said they approve of the job the feds are doing for them in Washington, D.C. 

State and local leaders fared better, but their approval ratings, on average, were not especially strong, either: 34% for governors and 31% for local representatives. Here are more specifics:

And while this is a political poll, it's important to note that the overall sense of disapproval crossed party lines among our poll-takers, which represented a diverse group.  

Here was the mix: Republicans (33%), Democrats (nearly 18%), SMBs with no party affiliation (15%), Independents (nearly 15%), and much smaller groups: Libertarians, Green Party members, Socialists, and others. Beyond that, nearly 17% opted not to identify their political preferences. 

What was both overwhelming and universal was the sense that small business owners don't feel as if they're being heard by the people representing them at the national level.

Hot button issues include ever-increasing inflation, the broken supply chain, the ongoing labor shortage, taxes, crime, and more aid for small businesses still badly affected by the COVID waves, even though Omicron cases are declining.

"It's All About Power & Purse, Not People" 

Here are some quotes that demonstrate a high level of frustration among the majority of those polled:

“You couldn't do more to destroy small business in the U.S. if you tried.”

"Politicians have abandoned small businesses and have even actively promoted policies to destroy us. They are owned by big businesses and have sold us out bit by bit to foreign countries in an effort to undermine anyone who has independent success. Why were small businesses closed and the big stores open during the early days of the pandemic? It makes no sense except that it was an opportunity to change the landscape of our country."

"It's all about Power & Purse, not People. They consider only corporate interests. If you have 20 or fewer employees, you are unnecessary. If you have 20 to 100, and are not a big donor, you are ignored. They only want taxes from small businesses -- no input of any kind."

"They're spending too much, letting in un-vaccinated, un-tested immigrants, and they're not fixing the supply chain fast enough. Meanwhile, they're allowing crime rates, gas prices, and inflation to rise to staggering levels. I never expected it to get so bad, so fast."

From The 21% Who Approve Of Biden

Combing through all of the sentiments expressed in this poll, there were some that expressed approval for President Biden and other key Democrats:

"The Biden administration has helped our school in many ways: paycheck protection EANS grants that helped us stay alive,  free COVID testing, which helped us stay open, rental assistance that helped our employee-adjacent partners stay in the area, so they could continue to work with us, and soaring numbers on Wall Street that protect and strengthen our small biz investments."

READ THE FULL STORY...Alignable's Political Approval Poll 

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