Inc. Magazine – September 2019

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WHAT IS YOUR POLITICAL

AFFILIATION?

40% Republican

29% Independent

18% Democrat

7% Libertarian

6% Other

38% Somewhat to strongly

favorable

36% Somewhat to strongly

unfavorable

26% No opinion

57% Legal under certain circumstances

32% Legal under any circumstances

11% Not legal under any circumstances

41% Kept at the present level

60% Not enough

36% Increased

34% About the right amount

23% Decreased

6% Too much

THE U.S. GOVERNMENT’S PROTECTION OF

THE ENVIRONMENT IS

ABORTION SHOULD BE

WHAT ISSUES MATTER TO

YOU—AND YOUR 2020 VOTE?

WHAT IS YOUR OVERALL

OPINION OF DONALD TRUMP’S

PERFORMANCE AS PRESIDENT?

IMMIGRATION TO THE U.S. SHOULD BE

WHAT IS TRUMP’S BIGGEST

IMPACT, POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE,

ON YOUR BUSINESS?

Many praised the current economy,

tax changes, and deregulation.

Others criticized new tariffs, trade

policy, and divisive rhetoric:

“A growing economy

and a strong stock

market are allowing

our customers to

invest ... and for us

to grow recurring

revenue.”

NO. 4,827JOHN ALSTON,

ClubDrive Systems

“His disrespect for

women and all minorities

(including LGBT) has

allowed people with

similar beliefs to

express them in the

workplace more often,”

said another Inc. 5000 CEO

STATE OF THE COUNTRY

You can’t do business in a vacuum—and between trade wars, immigration changes,

the looming 2020 presidential election, and a booming but shaky economy, the

Inc. 5000 CEOs must navigate plenty of political and economic uncertainty.

Not at all

important

LOWER % OF

RESPONSES

HIGHER % OF

RESPONSES

Important

Extremely

important

MEANWHILE, CAN THIS

ECONOMY LAST?

(And 31% thought it will

hit in 2020. See page 80

for advice on preparing for

an economic downturn.)

2020 PREDICTIONS

Yes, it’s early yet (and our survey

was mostly conducted in mid-

June, before the first Democratic

debate). But so far, the incumbent

is your most popular candidate:

38% of respondents picked Donald

Trump as one of the three potential

candidates they are “most encour-

aged by.”

Health care

The economy

Immigration

The way women are

treated in U.S. society

Gun policy

Ta x e s

Foreign affairs

Wealth distribution in the U.S.

U.S. trade and tariff policies

Climate change

Investigation into Russian

involvement in the 2016 U.S. election

The composition of

the Supreme Court

WHO DO

YOU LIKE

FOR 2020?

10% SENATOR

KAMALA HARRIS

16% MAYOR

PETE BUTTIGIEG

10% SENATOR

ELIZABETH

WARREN

28% FORMER

VICE PRESIDENT

JOE BIDEN

38% PRESIDENT

DONALD TRUMP

TRADE TENSIONS

Steep new U.S. tariffs on Chinese

imports—and China’s retaliation

on U.S. goods—are causing

some big Inc. 5000 CEO

headaches.

“China tariffs are

crushing us.”

NO. 721GEOFF HABICHT, Smoking Vapor

“The costs for importing

paper from overseas went

up exponentially ... and

made a project break-even

instead of a positive.”

NO. 527CASHMERE NICOLE,

Beauty Bakerie

33% OF CEOS SAID

THEY EXPECT A

RECESSION BY 2021

24% “ARE NOT

ENCOURAGED” BY ANY

CURRENT CANDIDATE