So little in public life is founded on facts. We like points, but the truth is that we, as a people and a nation, tend to run on feelings, particularly confidence. Confidence governs markets, influences political decisions, informs religious questions, and manages many of our purchasing decisions. As a result, it should come as no surprise that one of the most critical metrics in determining public opinion is confidence. What are your thoughts on Congress? Do you have faith in the military? What are your thoughts on small business? How about your place of worship? We have the solutions. The results of the 2008 Gallup Annual Update on Institutional Confidence are in, and they are exciting. To know about Amex Trs Company Inc, https://chiffrephileconsulting.com/amex-trs-company-inc/

No matter what the other side says, the numbers speak for themselves.

There has been a lot of outrage and criticism about the war, which has been directed at the officers and troops we have in Iraq. Moveon.org, for example, comes to mind immediately with its nefarious "General Betray-us" ad. Nonetheless, according to Gallop, the United States Military is the most trusted institution in the United States today, with 45% of respondents expressing a "great deal" confidence and another 26% saying "quite a lot" faith. So who do you think will come in second?

Who is the President? It's not even close. Bush ranks in the middle of the pack in each rating category, with 13%. He is slightly lower than banks (11% and 21%) and somewhat higher than television news (11% and 13%). What about Congress? Our loudest branch of government ranks dead last in each rating category, trailing only health maintenance organizations, which squeak ahead of Ried and Pelosi's Flying Circus with 6% and 7%, respectively. Then, of course, the Supreme Court is supposed to keep the other two branches in check. While they outperform the other two at 13% and 19%, respectively, it is hardly stellar. Still, it is better than the criminal justice system as a whole, which has ratings of 8% and 12% in Congress' neighborhoods. This is slightly lower than organized labor (10% and 10%) and somewhat higher than big business (7% and 13%).

That's right, big business--big box retailers, major corporations, multinational conglomerates--rank lower in instilling trust in the American people than organized labor and a criminal justice system that critics say is burdensome, racist, and rarely, if ever, truly just. Only HMOs and Congress are lower on the list!

On The List Is A Small Business

Small businesses are ranked second in Gallop's Annual Update on Confidence in Institutions. Pollsters found that:

Americans have the highest level of trust in the military, as they have every year since 1988. (except in 1997, when small businesses edged it out). In the current poll, small companies are ranked second, just ahead of the police. These are the only three institutions in which most Americans have high confidence.

What does it say to you that the only institutions that inspire trust are the military, small businesses, and the police? This is a sign that these three institutions are the only ones that provide Americans with genuine security. They outperformed religion (26% and 22%), public schools (16% and 17%), and everything else combined. It's easy to understand why the military and police are at the top, but what about small businesses?

Small business exists because it provides stability to neighborhoods and serves as the anchor for small towns worldwide. Small businesses rely on neighborly relationships rather than the much more distant and less satisfying customer-vendor relationships at Best Buy or Wal-Mart. Small businesses are where you can get help, knowledgeable salespeople, and the business owner's attention--often all wrapped up in the same person. More than that, small businesses contribute to the communities they serve through the jobs they create, the community participation they provide, and the taxes they pay.

In comparison, big box retailers and others are driving many small businesses out of business. They come into an area and offer jobs--which is fine--but with such low wages and prohibitively expensive health benefits, their employees frequently require public assistance to make ends meet. Do these businesses pay taxes that go to support public offerings? Normally, no. It is more common for them to receive massive tax breaks and even subsidies to set up shop. Worse, once established, these entities undercut local small businesses and drive them out of business while diverting money from the local economy and sending it elsewhere or overseas.

In conclusion

Mercantilism was a term used at the beginning of the 18th century to describe the process of aggressively drawing wealth from one place or country for the benefit of another. This nationalistic"beggar thy neighbor" practice was viewed as a form of economic warfare between nations. Unfortunately, with big-box retailers closing so many small local businesses and turning once-thriving downtowns across the country into ghost towns, we are doing it to ourselves and can only blame ourselves.