New poll reveals which political party wants companies to take public stances on social issues

Most Americans think businesses should avoid taking a public stance on political issues, but one party is far more likely to want public statements on current events, according to a poll released Tuesday.

According to the Gallup and Bentley University poll, 75% of respondents who identified themselves as Democrats believed companies ‘should take a public stance on current events,’ while just 18% of Republicans and 40% of independents agreed.

Overall, a majority of U.S. adults believed companies should not be taking a public stance on political and social issues, with 52% saying no and 48% saying yes.

When broken down by age, younger Americans were more likely to support companies taking stances on issues, with 59% of those between the ages of 18-29 believing they should.

A majority of those between the ages of 30-44 also believed they should (51%), but 41% of those between the ages of 45-59 believed so, along with 43% of those aged 60 and older, according to the poll.

Women were more likely than men to believe companies should take stances on issues, with 52% saying yes compared to 43% of men.

There was also a divide when it came to the race of those surveyed, with 74% of Asian Americans and 72% of Blacks saying companies should take a stance, while 49% of Hispanics and 41% of Whites agreed.

The survey was conducted in June, and included interviews with more than 5,700 U.S. adults.