A group of business leaders and organizations have announced the Business & Democracy Initiative, a partnership dedicated to protecting the integrity of U.S. elections and rebuilding trust in democratic institutions.

According to a release, the Business & Democracy Initiative’s founding partners include top business leaders and advocates as well as the Black Economic Alliance, the Leadership Now Project, and Public Private Strategies. 

Part of the initiative’s work will be engaging business leaders to shift the conversation around our democracy, driving corporate change, and securing the next generation of American democracy.

The announcement coincides with the release of a Morning Consult Poll showing business leaders believe their roles are critical to ensuring a functional democracy.

The poll results also show:

• 96% of business leaders say the existence of a well-functioning democracy is “important” to a strong economy.
• 80% of business leaders think that businesses should act to protect democracy and act to ensure safe and fair elections.
• 51% of business leaders say their business is more likely than they were five years ago to encourage employees to take a stance or speak out in support of democracy, or to take a public stance as a business.
• 64% of consumers say that a business with a public commitment to democracy shows the business cares about its customers, and its employees, and has the right values.

“With our nation’s democratic system under more stress than ever, the business community is a critical voice in the fight to preserve our free, open, and democratic system,” Rhett Buttle, founder of Public-Private Strategies, said in a statement.

“We believe that a strong democracy is the cornerstone of a dynamic and inclusive American economy, and we will be engaging with stakeholders across all levels of business to advocate for reforms that strengthen our democracy.”

The institution of Democracy was once the backbone of the United States. Cracks have started to show between former President Donald Trump‘s election lawsuits and insistence that he won the 2020 presidential election, the Jan. 6th Capitol Riot, and reports that Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas’ wife, Virginia Thomas, pushed the Speaker of the Arizona House and another state lawmaker twice to reverse Joe Biden’s win in the state.