JUST Capital Dependency Map
Shareholder Democracy Network Shareholder Democracy Network Analysis · August 2026
UNSDG Dependency Map Common Ground Dependency Map JUST Capital Dependency Map Doughnut Economics Dependency Map Human Rights Dependency Map

How much does what Americans want most from companies depend on shareholder democracy?

JUST Capital, an independent 501(c)(3), has surveyed nearly 200,000 Americans since 2015 on what they want most from business. Its 17 issues are ranked here by JUST Capital's survey weights, the measure of broad appeal. We scored each issue on one scale from 0 to 3. The score measures how far the outcome depends on owners voting their values to change what companies do or what companies lobby for. We scored every issue as dependent on shareholder democracy, and for seventeen of the seventeen, owners voting their values can deliver most of the outcome. These ratings are in beta. We are still refining the method, and we publish corrections based on feedback. Click any issue for the rationale and its citations.

0
Independent
0 issues
Not a relevant lever; the outcome belongs to governments, aid, or households.
1
Helpful
0 issues
Owners voting their values help at the margin.
2
Necessary
0 issues
Owners voting their values remove an obstacle nothing else removes; others must also act.
3
Pivotal
17 issues
Owners voting their values can deliver most of the outcome.
Issue · ranked by what Americans say matters mostSurvey weight · dependency
1
Pays a fair, living wageWorkers
11.6%
Pivotal
2
Acts ethically at the leadership levelShareholders & Governance
10.0%
Pivotal
3
Protects worker health and safetyWorkers
9.8%
Pivotal
4
Communicates transparentlyShareholders & Governance
7.7%
Pivotal
5
Provides benefits and work-life balanceWorkers
7.2%
Pivotal
6
Supports workforce retention, advancement, and trainingWorkers
6.9%
Pivotal
7
Treats customers fairlyCustomers
6.3%
Pivotal
8
Offers fair pricingCustomers
6.1%
Pivotal
9
Creates jobs in the U.S.Communities
5.6%
Pivotal
10
Protects customer privacyCustomers
5.5%
Pivotal
11
Addresses human rights in supply chainCommunities
4.6%
Pivotal
12
Fosters an inclusive workplaceWorkers
4.0%
Pivotal
13
Minimizes pollutionEnvironment
3.6%
Pivotal
14
Supports strong governanceShareholders & Governance
3.2%
Pivotal
15
Uses resources efficientlyEnvironment
2.9%
Pivotal
16
Combats climate changeEnvironment
2.5%
Pivotal
17
Gives back to local communitiesCommunities
2.5%
Pivotal

Issue names, ranking weights, and stakeholder categories are JUST Capital's, from justcapital.com/issues, based on its surveys of nearly 200,000 Americans since 2015. The dependency ratings, rationales, and citations are Shareholder Democracy Network analytical judgments; they are not JUST Capital findings, and JUST Capital is not affiliated with the Shareholder Democracy Network. Related UNSDG targets link to our companion analysis of all 169 targets.

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