The impact of the US government policies on consumer perceptions of business ethical behavior

Abstract

The unethical behavior of businesses toward their customers is thought to contribute to a loss of trust and confidence in the integrity of American corporations. Distrust between the two parties in the marketplace inhibits business transactions. The business ethics index (BEI) was established to formally and continuously measure the consumer sentiments of the ethical behavior of American businesses. This paper aims to measure the effect of political affiliation on consumers’ ethical perceptions of businesses.