Partisanship is high, but collaboration still happens—often behind the scenes. In this op-ed, BFA advisor Brad Fitch shares surprising stories from BFA's Across the Aisle event in DC, from examples of bipartisan success in Congress to a sausage company’s push for unity, and reminds us that civility is still possible.
Politicians from both sides of the aisle and business leaders discussed how Americans can find common ground despite the country’s current divided political climate at an event titled Across the Aisle, hosted by Business for America — a nonprofit organization focused on improving civic engagement, reducing polarization, and guiding businesses to engage in the politics. Companies featured included Cummins, International Paper, Johnsonville, and Salesforce.
PAC managers: secure your seat at "Across the Aisle," the must-attend Capitol Hill event where Problem Solvers Caucus members and corporate government relations leaders reveal how to drive real results in today's divided climate. Sarah Bonk from Business for America joins the podcast with details on this exclusive opportunity to network with lawmakers who make things happen beyond the headlines.
“Local organizations are often made up of business owners and can provide a platform to discuss legislation,” says Nancy Bocskor, development director at Business For America.
“Laying low is the dominant tactic right now,” says Sarah Bonk, head of Business for America, a non-profit membership group of businesses that want to make government work better. Still, she says she has heard from members that are worried about the increasing risks associated with doing business in such an uncertain environment, and what regulatory chaos will mean.
Good governance groups [including Business for America] urged the 2024 presidential contenders to disclose their top campaign fundraisers, a common bipartisan practice but not a legal requirement.
Becoming an effective player in local politics can go a long way toward promoting business-friendly regulations. Local politicians want to hear from businesses, just as they want to hear from other area stakeholders. “Many small business owners think that no one will listen to them,” says Nancy Bocskor, Development Director of Business For America. “But that’s not true. Studies show that small businesses are among the most highly trusted entities in the nation.”
Recently, I had the distinct honor of participating in a panel discussion hosted by Business for America. Our dialogue centered on the pivotal role that businesses, particularly small enterprises, can play in bridging the deepening chasms that threaten to divide our nation. As the CEO of the US Hispanic Business Council, I've borne witness to the palpable impact of divisive rhetoric on our communities and the urgent need for concerted action.
To help calm the tempers among coworkers, Business for America is starting the Disagree Better at Work campaign, an offshoot of the Disagree Better initiative launched in 2023 by Utah Gov. Spencer Cox. The Disagree Better at Work project, according to BFA, is designed to provide businesses with information and tools to address the political toxicity that has crept into the workplace and made employees less collegial and less productive.
Fortunately, solutions to polarizations are learnable skills. That’s why Business for America fully supports the bipartisan Building Civic Bridges Act (BCBA). Congress must act. The ability to #DisagreeBetter is vital to our nation’s social cohesion and economic future.
A coalition of good governance groups is calling on 2024 presidential candidates to routinely disclose their biggest campaign fundraisers. Fourteen organizations across the political spectrum signed onto the letter, including Business for America.
With a fraught and turbulent election year, we can expect… the revival of questions on what corporations should and shouldn’t be doing to protect democracy.” Organizations such as Leadership Now Project and Business for America are actively engaging with private sector leaders to ensure the United States has both a strong democracy and economy. Each organization regularly shares insightful research and educational materials that business leaders can turn to throughout the year.
In the current, tumultuous U.S. political environment, business leaders are exploring ways to navigate heated debates and intensifying culture wars. Two of the foremost leaders on that front are Sarah Bonk and Richard Eidlin of Business for America, who joined me for a discussion about how companies can help address the root causes of dysfunctional politics and prepare internally to take effective action.
Along with taking care of customers and tending to the bottom line, businesses increasingly are expecting to be attacked over culture war issues, according to a new survey recently released by Business for America. “At the root of the issue is America’s dysfunctional hyper-partisan politics,” Bonk said.
More than a dozen campaign finance and government watchdog groups are calling for greater transparency from almost every major presidential candidate about their campaigns’ biggest fundraisers.
In The New York Times, Business for America founder and CEO Sarah Bonk recently said that “the way they’ve rolled out DEI has exacerbated divides even while addressing valuable issues. … It has created some hostility, resentment.”
Business for America is working with businesses in Indiana to bring them into collaboration with state efforts to advance civic education. It’s opened a branch in Indiana to lead the formation of an Indiana Business Alliance for Civics, building on commitments from Cummins, Elanco and Salesforce, among others.
