This year’s report, Building a Resilient America: The New Consensus for Action, is part of The Milken Institute-Harris Poll Listening Project, now in its fifth year, which surveys socioeconomic, institutional, and political barriers to evaluate key global and national challenges. This year’s research is focused on the US and US economy, with the poll surveying 500 US business leaders and 4,000 American adults aged 18 and older.  

The report unveils several key findings:

• Business Optimism versus Individuals’ Caution: A Tale of Two Perspectives on the Economy: While business leaders show confidence in the future, consumer sentiment lags. Most business leaders believe the US economy (81 percent), their respective industries (81 percent), and their own companies (81 percent) are strong. In contrast, only 40 percent of Americans concur that the economy is strong, and 72 percent of Americans agree that “Economists may say things are getting better, but we’re not feeling it where I live.”

• The Resilience Imperative: America's Unified Quest for Endurance: Cultivating resilience across society is seen as crucial for managing disruptions and shaping the future. An overwhelming 89 percent of business leaders concur that “It is important that America is able to create resilient policies and solutions to navigate disruptions.” Likewise, 86 percent of Americans say, “I want a more resilient America that leads the world in its capacity to navigate and handle crises.” Nearly eight in 10 Americans believe securing America’s global leadership position in the next four years will tangibly improve their communities (79 percent), their job security (78 percent), their life overall (78 percent), and the US overall (78 percent).

• Consensus for Place-Based Innovation to Restore Trust and Advance Progress: There's a shared conviction among business leaders that place-based innovation can rebuild institutional trust (91 percent), create new manufacturing systems (90 percent), and rebuild political trust (88 percent). Americans echo this sentiment, agreeing that “Business leaders should work more closely with government leaders to solve our social challenges” (76 percent). What’s interesting is that perhaps this innovation is already happening, as 71 percent of Americans say, “Innovation is bubbling up in local communities, but national media is missing this story.”

Full results of the Milken Institute-Harris Poll Listening Project poll will be discussed at the Milken Institute Global Conference in Los Angeles, May 5–8, 2024. Harris Poll leaders John Gerzema and Libby Rodney will participate in those discussions, alongside other experts, to further delve into how the emerging economic consensus will play out at the local, national, and international levels. This will join the more than 150 public sessions that will be live streamed during the conference.

For more information on the Listening Project and the previous reports, see The Harris Poll.