In June 2024, Count on Mothers examined mothers' views on major industries and corporate accountability — identifying which sectors mothers find most concerning for families and capturing open-ended feedback directed at corporate leaders. Drawing on a nationally representative sample of mothers across regions and the political spectrum, the survey measured industry-level concern, sentiment toward business leadership, and the institutional pressure points families navigate daily. Mothers showed strong cross-partisan alignment on deep mistrust of corporate decision-making, with consistent concern that profit is prioritized over children's safety and family well-being.

Related themes:

Shared Priorities and Cross-Partisan Alignment Among Mothers

Family Economic Security and Cost Pressures

• Food, tech, and health insurance topped mothers' concerns about industries impacting families. Food and drug manufacturers were the most troubling industry (58.5%), followed by tech companies (41.8%) and health insurance companies (41.4%).
• 80% of mothers expressed negative sentiment toward business leaders when asked what they would say to corporate executives — reflecting a shared perception of harm, lack of accountability, and disregard for families.
• Mothers raised heightened concern about social media and healthcare delivery. Social media was identified as uniquely harmful due to addiction and mental health impacts; healthcare providers were cited for rushed, dismissive, or ineffective care.
• Childcare and education emerged as systemic pressure points despite not being traditionally viewed as corporate sectors. Mothers raised concerns about affordability, access, and increasing privatization.
• Cross-partisan alignment despite ideological differences. Mothers across the political spectrum consistently conveyed that families feel unprotected and deprioritized by major institutions — a bipartisan message that emerged independent of partisan framing.

Source: Count on Mothers, Mothers' Views on Big Business and Trust, June 2024. Nationally representative survey of U.S. mothers, n=650, weighted across political ideology and region. Research led by a PhD-credentialed researcher and an MPH data scientist.

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