On April 14, 2021, the CEOs of hundreds of American corporations signed a public statement
proclaiming “We Stand for Democracy”. The statement (triggered by the enactment of a
controversial voting rights law in Georgia and voter suppression actions in Texas and other
states) asserts the following:
A Government of the people by the people.
A beautifully American ideal, but a reality denied to many for much of this nation’s history.
As Americans, we know that in our democracy we should not expect to agree on everything.
However, regardless of our political affiliations, we believe the very foundation of our electoral process
rests upon the ability of each of us to cast our ballots for the candidates of our choice.
For American democracy to work for any of us, we must ensure the right to vote for all of us.
We should all feel a responsibility to defend the right to vote and to oppose any discriminatory
legislation or measures that restrict any eligible voter from having an equal and fair opportunity to cast
a ballot.
Voting is the lifeblood of our democracy and we call upon all Americans to join us in taking a non-
partisan stand for this most basic and fundamental right of all Americans.
The signatories included the leaders of leading US technology companies (Apple, Dell, IBM, et
al), financial companies (Bank of America, Goldman Sachs, Wells Fargo), consulting firms
(Bain, Boston Consulting Group, McKinsey), manufacturers (Cisco, Ford, General Motors), and
retail companies (Amazon, Nordstrom, Target).
The statement was applauded by some commentators as an appropriate exercise of business
power in the highly polarized political environment of the United States. But it also provoked
strong criticism by leaders of the Republican Party (e.g., Mitch McConnell) and conservative
media outlets (e.g., Fox News) claiming that the CEO letter overstepped the boundaries of
political engagement by the American business community.
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