WASHINGTON—Today, NetChoice released a new survey, conducted by Echelon Insights, of likely voters in the 2024 election. The results show that Americans have significant doubts about the Biden administration’s approach to antitrust policy, and they understand it may have serious, negative consequences.
“Americans know that Biden’s policies are responsible for the pain they’re feeling in their wallets, and that the consequences of Biden’s policies are weakening America’s position—in both business and government relations—around the world. The new polling shows that Americans know that Biden’s antitrust crusade will raise daily costs even further. Voters want the White House to stand up for U.S. companies and innovation in global markets rather than continue to undermine them in favor of foreign regulators’ interests,” said Carl Szabo, NetChoice Vice President & General Counsel.
Szabo continued: “Biden’s regulators are punishing businesses that have grown by meeting customer demands. NetChoice urges policymakers to reject this failing approach and recenter antitrust enforcement where it belongs—on the preferences and welfare of American consumers.”
A majority of Americans fear that Biden’s antitrust enforcement will result in higher prices for consumers [Q1]. They also have widespread doubts that the administration is effectively protecting consumers as they increasingly shift policy in favor of targeting companies based on their size [Q3].
There is significant opposition to adopting foreign regulations in the U.S. that unfairly target American companies and industries [Q2]. A plurality would be less likely to vote for a candidate who supports regulations modeled after laws like the EU’s Digital Markets Act, while only 18% would be more likely to back such a candidate. Further, the public wants the government prioritizing the interests of U.S. companies against foreign laws penalizing them [Q4].
In sum, the May 2024 NetChoice survey with Echelon Insights reveals a lack of faith in the Biden administration’s antitrust agenda and its embrace of a more progressive regulatory approach. Many Americans fear these policies will have negative economic consequences by further raising prices, degrading quality and undercutting U.S. competitiveness globally. Instead, they desire policies that vigorously defend American businesses rather than replicating foreign laws that punish and disadvantage them.
You can find our polling results here and a one-pager outlining our findings here.
Please contact Krista Chavez at press@netchoice.org with inquiries.
SOURCE: NetChoice & Echelon Insights—Survey of N=1,023 voters in the Likely Electorate; Field Dates: May 13-16, 2024; Margin of Error: +/- 3.7 Percentage Points.