Americans split on corporate political statements: Pew Research
WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES — Americans remain divided over whether companies and organizations should make public statements about political or social issues, according to a Pew Research Center survey conducted in February.
Today, about half of U.S. adults say these types of statements are very or somewhat important, while the other half say they are not too important or not at all.
The overall figures closely mirror sentiments recorded in July 2020, shortly after George Floyd’s killing sparked a wave of corporate statements on racial justice and inequality.
Stark divides by race, political affiliation
White adults are less likely than other groups to consider corporate statements important, only 42% of White respondents hold this view. In contrast, 66% of Asian adults and 63% each of Black and Hispanic adults say such statements matter.
Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents are nearly twice as likely as Republicans and GOP supporters to say corporate statements matter, at 66% versus 34%.
The partisan divide persists even when accounting for race: while 63% of White Democrats see these statements as important, 72% of White Republicans say they are not.
Changing views since 2020
Overall, American attitudes toward company statements on social and political issues have barely shifted in five years. However, there have been notable drops among Black adults and Democrats.
The share of Black Americans who see value in company statements fell from 75% in 2020 to 63% in 2025. Likewise, the percentage of Democrats expressing this view declined from 71% to 66%.
These steady divides illustrate the ongoing debate around the corporate role in addressing social and political topics, with Americans split not only by ideology but also by lived experience and demographic background.
Meanwhile, global workers prioritize purpose over pay in the 2025 outlook. This trend is particularly pronounced among younger workers, with a Deloitte survey showing that an overwhelming majority of Gen Z (86%) and millennial (89%) professionals prioritize purpose in their career choices.
