Small-business owners may feel that they have no clout when it comes to being represented in Washington, but the 35th Annual Confidence in Institutions Poll conducted by the Gallup Organization indicates otherwise.

Gallup first asked about confidence in institutions in 1973, repeating the question biannually through 1983, and obtaining annual updates since then. This year's update comes from a June 9-12 Gallup Poll. In the latest update, small business ranks just below the military, but edges out the police for the number two slot of institutions in which the American public has high confidence.

Small business has constantly ranked among the top institutions that receive high confidence ratings. While the military has managed to dominate the number one slot for a majority of the time the poll has been conducted, in 1997 small business topped the list as the institution that received the highest confidence ratings.

Conversely, government institutions have decreased in their confidence ratings. The poor economy and lack of effective government action on important issues such as gas prices, the credit crunch, and immigration help contribute to the erosion of trust and confidence in government institutions. This decreased confidence underscores the public's frustration, and signal an electorate that may be hungry for change in Washington. Taking that into consideration, and the sheer size of the small-business community--more than 70 million--small business is poised to have its voice heard this election.

Earlier this year NSBA launched a campaign to address the lack of small-business focus in the 2008 election season. The campaign urges every small-business owner and employee in the U.S. to speak out as part of the overall small-business community. To learn more details about the campaign please visit http://www.nsba.biz/vote.