Business View Magazine | March 2020

8 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE MARCH 2020 As you might expect in today’s hyperpolarized America, there’s a thread of skepticism about the state of today’s politics running through our survey results. For example, • 88% of Americans agree that money has too much influence in politics.  • 31% don’t think political donations from the average American make a difference. Still, despite those numbers, our survey also shows that huge numbers of Americans want to be active in the process. They want to support their candidate, their party or their cause, and they’re willing to put up their hard-earned money to do so. As with anything involving your money, however, it’s wise to be cautious. Here are a couple of tips you can take to make sure your donation goes as planned. • Pay with credit if donating online: When it comes to protection against fraud, credit cards are clearly the best choice. • Read the fine print before doing a recurring donation: Before you sign up and allow a campaign or a party to charge your card on a regular basis, be sure you understand what you’re getting into. • Trust your gut: If an ad, website or some other solicitation for money doesn’t feel right to you, steer clear. Instead, go directly to the official website for the campaign or the party in question. Of those who have donated previously, more than half said they gave specifically after seeing a social media post directing them to do so