WASHINGTON — A newly created organization wants to change how people view corporate America, even as Democrats and Republicans in Congress have targeted the business community with new proposed regulations.
The American Growth and Innovation Forum is set to launch this week, the Deseret News has first learned, seeking to drive “fact-based discussions” to change how people view corporations. The group also hopes to convince lawmakers to cut regulations.
The group will focus on sharing information about how “responsible growth” can benefit the U.S. and international economies as a way to spur economic development.
“Behind every affordable household item, reliable broadband connection, or breakthrough technology is a story of American scale and ingenuity at work,” Diana London, the executive director of AGIF, said in a statement. “At our core, AGIF champions the reality that U.S. companies make life better for families, communities, and the country as a whole.”
The creation of the group comes in response to public perceptions that big businesses are untrustworthy.
Recent polling conducted by Cygnal for AGIF shows that only 40% of Americans hold a favorable view of big businesses, despite 87% of respondents acknowledging they occasionally or frequently use their products.
The polling does show respondents have generally positive perceptions of corporations Apple, Amazon and Walmart.
Even with the unfavorable perception, a majority of consumers (50%) say they think businesses can be used as a force for good by driving innovation, creating jobs and improving lives.
That polling, AGIF founders say, reflects the misconceptions surrounding big businesses and corporations that the nonprofit organization hopes to counter.
“AGIF starts with a simple hypothesis: while the rhetoric around ‘big business’ is negative, we believe a majority of American businesses add tremendous value to communities and the attacks on them do not reflect the true opinions of consumers,” London said.
As a result, the group hopes its educational efforts can crack down on regulatory measures often proposed by lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.
For example, Republicans have sought ways to rein in certain corporations for pushing what they consider to be progressive and “woke” agendas, such as policies that prioritize diversity, equity and inclusion or environmental initiatives.
Meanwhile, some Democrats have pushed to crack down on monopolies and other large businesses over accusations over price gouging and corporate consolidation. Much of that criticism is targeted toward Big Tech and Big Pharma.
The AGIF says it will provide research and data advocating for “responsible growth” in sectors such as health care, agriculture, retail and infrastructure to boost their economic growth.