Amid political polarization intensified by the coming midterm elections, a new bipartisan survey of American voters reveals a surprising unity. Despite our differences, Americans are united about entrepreneurial dreams. We hold a shared belief that every individual should have a fair opportunity to start and grow their own business. This unity – which is so rare today – provides a path to pull the nation together and catalyze the growth of future businesses and jobs.
The poll was conducted jointly by North Star Opinion Research, a Republican-oriented polling firm, and Hart Research, a Democratic-oriented polling firm. It surveyed online in mid-August 1,000 registered voters who confirmed they voted in the 2020 presidential election. It was conducted for Right to Start, the national nonprofit organization that I lead, which advances entrepreneurial opportunity as a civic priority.
The results are remarkable in how much entrepreneurship unites the nation. Democrats, Republicans, and Independents are all more likely to support a political candidate who emphasizes making it easier for citizens to start and grow new businesses. That’s true even though most voters don’t realize that new businesses create most new jobs. Some of the most interesting findings of the survey include the following:
First, Americans almost unanimously agree that “it is important to America’s future that citizens have a fair opportunity to start and grow their own business”: 94% agree, 2% disagree, and 4% are not sure. That near-unanimity crosses party lines – with 95% of Republicans, 95% of Independents, and 92% of Democrats agreeing.
American voters similarly have an overwhelmingly favorable view of small business owners (90% favorable vs. 4% unfavorable) and entrepreneurs (73% vs. 10%). Fewer voters have a favorable view of large businesses – 46% favorable and 40% unfavorable, with 14% having no opinion.
Second, voters incorrectly credit large businesses and existing businesses with creating more new jobs in America than they do. When asked what entities create most new jobs in America, they answered: existing large businesses (33%), existing small businesses (24%), new startup businesses (18%) – with 25% not sure. The correct answer is: new startup businesses.
That’s a startling result. Fewer than 20% of American voters realize that new startup businesses are pivotal to creating jobs in America, yet voters still overwhelmingly believe everyone deserves a fair opportunity to start and grow their own businesses. That speaks to the shared faith of Americans in entrepreneurial dreams. We are a nation of silent strivers.
Third, 43% of American voters have thought about starting a new business. Yet only half of them (21%) have tried. Voters of color are especially entrepreneurial. 54% of Black voters have thought about starting a business, as have 50% of Hispanic voters, compared to 40% of White voters.
Of those who thought about starting a business but did not try, 76% said that inadequate capital resources factored into their decision, 69% cited fear of failure, 53% said they could not afford government fees, and 49% said they found government requirements and forms confusing.
Fourth, while voters support entrepreneurship, they think it is difficult to start and grow a new business in America and would support candidates who would make it easier. 92% of voters think it is difficult to start and grow a new business today: 45% think it is very difficult, while 47% think it is somewhat difficult. That assessment of difficulty again crosses partisan lines: 94% of Republicans think it is difficult to start and grow a new business, as do 93% of Independents and 92% of Democrats.
Not only that, 47% of voters think that the federal government is doing more to get in the way of people who want to start new businesses than to help them. Only 17% think that the federal government is helping people who want to start new businesses – with 36% not sure. That skepticism also crosses party lines. Only 27% of Democrats think the federal government is helping people who want to start new businesses, as do 13% of Independents and 7% of Republicans.
All three partisan groups would be more likely to support a political candidate who emphasizes making it easier for citizens to start and grow new businesses. That’s true for 64% of Independents, 62% of Democrats, and 59% of Republicans. Black and Hispanic voters were twice as likely as White voters to say they were “much more likely” to support such a candidate: 23% of Black voters and 26% of Hispanic voters vs. 12% of White voters. Since voters frequently mention “jobs and the economy” as the top issue facing their state, linking support for new businesses to a healthy economy is likely to be particularly resonant.
Across a range of issues (such as education, healthcare, capital access, bureaucracy, taxes, and procurement), voters of color and those living in small towns and rural areas demonstrated particular interest in certain pro-entrepreneur policies. For instance, in response to the sentence “every child in school should be taught the skills to potentially build their own business someday,” 64% of Black voters, 63% of Hispanic voters, 52% of small-town voters, and 58% of rural voters said they found it “very persuasive” compared to 46% of overall voters.
Voters overwhelmingly want Americans to have a fair opportunity to start new businesses and don’t think our leaders are doing enough to make that happen. Such unified sentiment is virtually non-existent in our political landscape today. Elected officials and candidates for office should take note and prioritize entrepreneurship as a critical issue. Voters are hungry for it, and the nation will prosper from it.