Mothers' Views on Big Business and Trust
Rapid

In June 2024, Count on Mothers surveyed 650 mothers nationwide to identify industries they find most concerning for families and to gather open-ended feedback directed at corporate leaders. Mothers across political ideologies and regions expressed consistent concerns about safety, trust, and corporate accountability. Findings reveal broad, cross-partisan unease with how major industries impact children’s health, development, and family well-being.

The public report is available below.
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June 28, 2024
Related themes:

Shared Priorities and Cross-Partisan Alignment Among Mothers

Family Economic Security and Cost Pressures

  • Widespread concern across ideology and geography:
    Mothers across the political spectrum expressed deep mistrust of corporate decision-making and concern that profit is often prioritized over children’s safety and family well-being.
  • Food, tech, and health insurance top the list:
    The industries mothers identified as most troubling were food and drug manufacturers (58.5%), tech companies (41.8%), and health insurance companies (41.4%).
  • Heightened concern about social media and healthcare delivery:
    Mothers frequently cited social media as uniquely harmful due to addiction and mental health impacts, and raised concerns about healthcare providers for rushed, dismissive, or ineffective care.
  • Childcare and education as systemic pressure points:
    Although not traditionally viewed as corporate sectors, childcare and education emerged as major concerns related to affordability, access, and increasing privatization.
  • Strong negative sentiment toward corporate leadership:
    More than 80% of mothers expressed negative sentiment when asked what they would say to business leaders, reflecting a shared perception of harm, lack of accountability, and disregard for families.
  • Shared priorities despite partisan differences:
    While views diverged on some industries, mothers consistently conveyed a bipartisan message that families feel unprotected and deprioritized by major institutions.

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Methodology
Count on Mothers conducts nationwide surveys and qualitative research with U.S. mothers. Findings are analyzed and reported in aggregate to inform research publications and decision-making related to families.
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