Happy August recess from your friends at CNCT! Instead of our typical Capitol Pulse polls and breakdowns, this August we are taking a look at a few trends that stood out from our Congressional Staffer polls this year. Let’s take a look… ⬇️

Since January, roughly 2% of Congressional Staffers have voted daily to give their anonymous opinions on topical issues, giving us great insights into the minds behind the Members. These Capitol Pulse results have revealed quite a few unlikely topics where Republicans and Democrats surprisingly agree.

💭 The big idea this week: Sentiment towards big business is changing on both sides of the aisle.

There are a few trends that have led us to this conclusion and we are going to break them down. Let’s dive in!

1️⃣ Trend #1: Antitrust enforcement is very popular among both parties.

🗳️Our Capitol Pulse data, represented by Staffers who voted, shows:

• 92% of Staffers support stronger enforcement of antitrust law towards big business

• 100% of Democratic Staff and 81% of GOP Staff support stronger enforcement

• For those over 30 years old, 100% supported stronger enforcement, while those under 30 agreed at a 86% rate.

We asked this question on the heels of the Biden Admin announcing plans to sue Live Nation (Ticketmaster’s owner) over their monopolistic behavior. Considering this question referred to an action taken by the Biden Admin, we find it even more fascinating to see outstanding GOP support.

2️⃣ Trend #2: Staffers believe big business puts profits over people.

🗳️ Another question that we predicted would easily get to the root of sentiment around big business on the Hill was… “Agree or Disagree: Big Business tries to strike a fair balance between profits and the interests of the public.”

• 76% of Staffers who voted said they “disagree”

• 100% of Democratic Staff and 56% of GOP Staff disagree too

• 83% of Staff Under 30 and 71% of Staff Over 30 said “disagree”
   

Throughout the recent decades, both parties seemed to have a love affair with big business which may be the cause of this dramatic shift over the past 20 years.

While many Members have tried to keep that relationship fresh so they can fund their campaigns, Democratic staff have become completely disenchanted with the corporate world.

Republicans are more likely to hold on to the nostalgia; however, the relationship slowly sours as many on the right feel the world of big business has betrayed their values system.

3️⃣ Trend #3: Support for banning PAC donations to Members of Congress grows.

Speaking of Members lining their campaign pockets with corporate money, Congressional Staff continue to grow in their openness to campaign finance reform. When asked… 

🗳️ Would you support the elimination of PAC money in federal elections?

• 68% of Staffers who voted said "yes"

• 89% of Dem Staff who voted said "yes"

• 48% of GOP Staff who voted said "yes"

The GOP numbers aren’t mind-blowing, but it’s indicative of the demand for voters to hold more sway in the electoral process rather than corporations.

After decades of a cozy coexistence between the government and big business, Congressional Staffers are looking for a change to who this country’s laws prioritize.

Democratic Staffers are almost completely in lockstep with these accountability concerns and Republicans are surprisingly more in line with Dems than anyone would’ve thought. 

Could we see the Republican Party make a U-turn in policy and embrace more of a ‘Teddy Roosevelt approach’ that hopes to see the government hold big business to a higher standard? Time will tell…

Tune in next Wednesday when we cover Staffers’ disinterest in the 2024 election. Enjoy your August recess!