Fight for democracy isn’t partisan. It is good for business
In today’s hyper-partisan and dysfunctional political climate, Wisconsin business leaders could be forgiven for turning off their news feeds and focusing only on growing and sustaining their companies and organizations in the face of inflation, and other persistent pandemic-era challenges.
This approach has worked for generations of Wisconsin business leaders, even during politically charged times. They trusted government officials to look out for the state’s prosperity and economic stability, and to safeguard our proud history of free, fair, and open government and elections.
But the world has changed and trust in government has eroded.
According to The 2022 Edelman Trust Barometer, the foremost annual global survey on trust, Americans no longer trust the government or the media and instead are increasingly looking to business to lead and drive stability. Almost one in two survey respondents (48%) viewed the government as a divisive force and viewed government leaders as the least trusted leaders in society today, with less than half of respondents (42%) indicating trust in elected officials).
Now that we know more is expected of us as business leaders, what exactly can we do?
How can we effectively engage in societal issues?
A seminal first step is to help restore trust and stability in our election process by creating and supporting policies within our organizations that encourage voter participation and civic engagement.
Civic engagement: Why it’s so important in Wisconsin
Wisconsin elections have some of the highest participation rates in the country. In the last presidential election, 76% of eligible voters cast their ballot. Despite the loud assertions of some, voter fraud has not been a problem in Wisconsin. Wisconsinites care about the direction of their state and they show up to vote. While we may have very different opinions, we believe enough in the legitimacy of our system to vote.
As the August primaries and November elections approach, let’s work to maximize participation in these elections. There are many specific actions business leaders can take, most of which do not require financial contributions or disruption to our businesses.
Several strategies were outlined in a recent case study published by the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation, called “Civic Responsibility: The Power of Companies to Increase Voter Turnout”:
● Promote National Voter Registration Day and Election Day on your company social media channels to drive awareness among your followers and provide a reminder for them to plan ahead and engage.
● Host an in-office or virtual voter registration drive followed by election day events at work that help build support and positivity around voting.
● Leverage your internal website and email communication channels to provide calendar reminders to employees on key registration and voting dates, and share local voting locations, hours and procedures ahead of time.
● Provide employees time to vote. Open later, close early, make it a “no meeting” day or even provide the day off if you can. If we can do it for snow days, we can do it for democracy!
● Become a champion for civic engagement by encouraging companies in your area or industry to drive similar initiatives, posting about your own civic engagement activities on LinkedIn, and speaking up in local business groups, including young professional groups, the next generation of leaders.
Prioritizing civic engagement and taking concrete actions to increase participation by providing employees time, information and support will be good for business and good for everyone. It allows us to stay true to our state’s core values and to move forward together.
We invite our area chambers, industry associations and business owners across the state to actively engage in driving high voter participation and civic engagement. Doing so ensures business plays a leadership role as a stabilizing force for Wisconsin.
Please join us. Visit our website wibusinessfordemocracy.org to find out how you can add your name to this effort.
David Lubar is president and CEO of Lubar & Co, a Milwaukee-based investment firm. He has served as a director of many for-profit companies and civic organizations. Anoop Prakash is a division president at REV Group. Prior to REV, Anoop held leadership roles in business and government, including in the administration of President George W. Bush. Anoop is a former Marine Corps officer, and serves on the board of the Hunger Task Force. Both are co-founders of Wisconsin Business Leaders for Democracy coalition.