Small Business as Citizen

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Last week, the National Federation of Independent Businesses issued a statement describing its array of initiatives this election year, from voter registration drives to candidate endorsements. NFIB President and CEO Jack Faris pointed to the efforts of the NFIB's SAFE (Save America's Free Enterprise) Trust Political Action Committee in this election cycle as a demonstration of small-business owners' political participation.

"Through an impressive outpouring of volunteers, contributions and, most importantly, grassroots activity," Faris said in the statement, "the voice of small business is being heard loudly in every major election held across the country."

Of course, that voice seems to be delivering a single message: vote Republican. During the 2003-2004 election cycle, the SAFE Trust PAC has contributed $675,890 to Republican candidates nationwide, compared to $11,500 to Democratic candidates and $11,000 to candidates representing other parties, according to TRKC Inc., a service that tracks political donations through Federal Election Commission figures and other data.

Clearly, the GOP is historically the party favored by business (albeit not necessarily by a 59:1 dollar margin). But the greater point may be the civic and political power of small business leaders. By remaining active members of their communities, small business owners have the power to educate people about issues affecting small business and help encourage voter turnout among their employees. And by working together as a group, they have the ability to influence electoral politics on a national level. To quote Faris: "Main Street business owners, their employees and their families are highly concerned with the decisions made on Capitol Hill, and surveys show that small-business owners vote. This year, small-business owners are motivated and organized as never before, and all candidates would be wise to see that Main Street is on the move."