Perception of Business, Military, Education, and Religion

The differences in Republican and Democrat’s views can play out in how they view certain aspects of the US. For example, small businesses versus corporations. Both appear to perceive small business as being positive and take a negative view on corporations. I suspect it is one having a greater impact versus the other.

Americans overwhelmingly see small businesses as having a positive effect on the way things are going in the country.

By contrast, their views of large corporations are broadly negative. Most people – including identical shares in both parties – also are critical of the impact of banks and financial institutions.

A new national survey conducted by Pew Research Center from Jan. 16 to Jan. 21 among 5,140 adults also finds:

The U.S. military is viewed positively by 60% of Americans, and these views are similar across most demographic and political groups.

There are wide partisan divides on the impact of educational institutions, both K-12 public schools and colleges and universities:

• About three-quarters of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents view colleges and universities positively, but only about three-in-ten Republicans and Republican leaners give these institutions positive marks. The partisan divide on K-12 public schools is about as wide.

Churches and religious organizations are viewed positively by about six-in-ten Americans, but there are sizeable differences in these views between Republicans and Democrats, as well as between the religiously affiliated and the religiously unaffiliated:

• Nearly three-quarters of Republicans (73%) say churches and religious institutions have a positive impact. Democrats’ opinions are more divided: 45% say their effect is positive, 53% say it is negative.

• And while religiously affiliated Americans generally rate the impact of organized religion positively, the views of unaffiliated Americans are more negative.

Views of the effect of labor unions also differ considerably by party:

• Three-quarters of Democrats, compared with just 35% of Republicans, say unions have a positive impact on how things are going in the United States these days.

Americans’ Views of Colleges, Businesses and Tech Companies, Unions, Churches, and the Military, Pew Research Center