2ndVote Scoring Criteria FAQ

2ndVote Scoring Issues, Action Types and Scored Criteria – FAQ


General Scoring Questions:

 

What issues do you use to score companies?

What actions do you count as scorable?

We evaluate the corporate philanthropy, advocacy and policies relating to each critical issue, using a forensic approach to measure both monetary actions and socio-political actions.

We apply the same criteria to all corporations for measuring these actions. This ensures an objective and comprehensive approach, but we will inherently miss some contributing factors, especially since many of these corporations have thousands of beneficiaries, partners and affinity groups.

Who does your research?

Our full-time research team includes subject matter experts on all of our issues with experience in forensic analysis of data, advocacy and sentiment. Companies being researched by 2ndVote are assigned to analysts in paired teams to ensure as much objectivity and completeness as possible.

Where do you get your data?

The research and analysis process involves collecting data from the corporation’s public forms (e.g. IRS Form 990 and SEC Form 10-K). We also collect data from their corporate websites, foundations, philanthropic beneficiaries, partnerships, corporate and executive stances, and many other sources both online and offline. The entire data gathering and analysis process can take anywhere from a day to two months, depending on the company’s size and the accessibility of their information.

For example, the research on Verizon took over two months due to the large count of beneficiaries from their corporate donations and matching funds donations listed in their 1400-page Form 990. We study every nonprofit organization they donated to so we can relate those funds, where applicable, back to one or more of our six issues.

How do you deal with extraneous data?

In most cases, donations are not related to any one of our issues. Donations to a humane society, or to fight hunger, or to help the elderly – while all good causes – are considered traditional charity and therefore not calculated in our scoring system.

How long does a policy impact a company’s score?

Also relevant is the resiliency of the corporate actions. A company may institute a policy that immediately fosters a negative social response and results in the company reversing the action altogether. We do not ultimately score transient actions because we believe companies should be supported in taking corrective actions. Subsequently, Salvation Army’s CRT program was cancelled within a few days of it’s public discovery. Instead of adopting the cancel culture solution, we elected to confirm that their liberal actions were reversed and then notate the action without scoring the action.

On the other end of the spectrum, corporate policies and donations that remain in place continue to impact a company’s 2ndVote Score for three to five years, depending on the continuation, duration, and social impact of the action.

Are all actions weighed the same?

Each action that we discover is tied to one of our six issues on the basis of measurable impact on that issue. For example, a donation of $10,000 to a pro-life organization adds positive credit to a corporation’s score on Life. Contrarily, a donation to Planned Parenthood, an organization known to engage in infanticide, drops that companies score on Life all the way to an unrecoverable 1.0. We skew the calculation this way because funding the killing of a baby is an act that our algorithms does not allow you to self-redeem.

Donations to pro-life or pro-abortion organizations is just one of the actions we track relative to the Life issue.

What specific actions do you score?

Within each issue, we categorize corporate actions as either generally conservative or generally liberal, where an action on one side is inversely reflected on the other side. For example, A pro-life stance is generally opposite of a pro-abortion stance. We also identify actions as discretely liberal or conservative if there is no obvious inverse action. For instance, we score support for in-utero research as a discretely conservative action that doesn’t necessarily have a liberal opposite.

Are your scoring algorithms made public?

While we do not disclose our algorithms or the scoring impact of our measured actions, we are just now releasing our scoring criteria, which allows our consumer audience and the companies we score to better understand how we score them and what impacts their scores. You can read more about our scoring methodology here.

Sanctity of Life is our weightiest issue, as it literally deals in the preservation (or destruction) of innocent life.

What does it mean to be Neutral on an issue?

All conservative actions on an issue have a scoring effect that pushes a company above a neutral 3.0. Contrarily, we score liberal actions as detracting from the issue and thus pushing a company’s score on that issue below a 3.0. We celebrate neutrality on these issues almost as much as we promote conservative scores.

Questions on the Sanctity of Life:

 

What is your position on Abortion?

2ndVote is a pro-life organization and believes life begins at conception.

What are the types of issues you score on Life?

Company scores on the issue of Life are determined by donations, public stances, affiliations and partnership, and other actions pertaining to the following criteria types:

  • The Sanctity of Life
  • Definitional Understanding of Conception
  • Facilitation and Complicity in Abortion
  • Unity of the Traditional Family Structure

What actions to you score as Conservative on Life?

We score a company as conservative on the Sanctity of Life issue for each action they take related to the following measurable criteria:

Generally Conservative actions on Life

  1. Pro-life stance, promotion, and/or advocacy (Type A)
  2. Biblical understanding of conception/ Belief of Life starting at conception (Type B)
  3. Opposed to proliferation of abortifacients (Type C)
  4. Promotion/support for traditional family structure (Type D)
  5. Promotion/support for adoption for traditionally-structured families (Type D)

How do these conservative actions get scored?

A corporate donation to the nonprofit Human Life International, which opposes the proliferation of abortifacients, would be counted as a conservative action that would have the effect of increasing the donor’s Life score above a neutral 3.0.

Discretely Conservative actions on Life

  1. Promotion/support for Christian/alternatives-based pregnancy centers (Type D)
  2. Provision of on-site daycare (Type D)
  3. Promotion/support for in utero disease research (Type D)
  4. Promotion/support of anti-human/child/sex trafficking policies, organizations, and/or initiatives (Type C)

Why do Discrete Actions not have an opposite?

For context, it would be extremely rare to find a corporation that donate to or openly partners with organizations that support these atrocities, so this type of action has no general opposite on the liberal side.

What actions to you score as liberal on Life?

We score a company as liberal on the Sanctity of Life issue for each action they take related to the following measurable criteria:

Generally Liberal actions on Life

  1. Pro-abortion stance, promotion, and/or advocacy (Type A)
  2. Belief of Life starting after given time period after conception (Type B)
  3. Supports proliferation of abortifacients (Type C)
  4. Opposition/subterfuge of traditional family structure (Type D)
  5. Promotion/support for LGBTQ/SOGI adoption (Type D)

Do public companies actually advocate for Pro-Abortion causes?

Many companies advocate for non-traditional family structures – either in their corporate policies or in their partnerships with organizations that do.

What discretely liberal actions do you score on Life?

  1. Promotion/support/contributions for Planned Parenthood or any other abortion-providing organization. (Type C)
  2. Promotion/support for stem cell research utilizing aborted fetuses (fetal tissue only). (Type C)

As the research team conducts their analysis on a corporation’s stance on Life, they will document each unique action, as well as the relevant dollar amounts, social impacts, and relevant implications.

How do you score companies that have no policy on Life?

Note that many companies take no action at all on the issue of the sanctity of life. We refer to these as a “naturally neutral” company on that issue. Their Life score would remain a neutral 3.0.

How do you score companies that have no policy on any of your issues?

Many companies take no action at all on the issues we score. We refer to these as “naturally neutral” companies. Their composite score would be indicated as a neutral 3.0.

Questions on Basic Freedoms:

What is your position on the First Amendment?

The most fundamental foundations of our freedom as American people lie in the respect of the rights of others to worship as they please, speak what they wish, engage in political journalism, and peacefully protest. We include the traditional family, sanctity of childhood, and the definition of male and female in Basic Freedoms.

What are the types of issues you score on the First Amendment?

Company scores on the issue of Basic Freedoms are impacted and determined by donations, stances, affiliations, and actions pertaining to the following types:

  1. Religious Liberty Principles & Protections
  2. Traditional Marriage
  3. Speech & American Freedoms

What actions to you score as Conservative on Basic Freedoms?

Generally Conservative actions on Basic Freedoms include:

  1. Promotion/support for RFRA bills and religious liberty protections (Type A)
  2. Belief in traditional/biblical marriage between man and woman (Type B)
  3. Opposition to the HRC (Type A)
  4. Openly faith-based (Judeo-Christian only) organizations (Type A)
  5. Opposition to media censorship and censorship on free-speech platforms – general support for free speech (Type C)
  6. Opposition to the Equality Act or any other LGBTQ/SOGI legislation that specifically encroaches on religious beliefs or practices. (Type A)
  7. Promotion/support for prayer rights protections (Type A)
  8. General opposition to the Obergefell v. Hodges (2015) verdict (or support for Biblical marriage) (Type B)
  9. Promotion/support for 3D printed firearms (freedom of speech – code is speech) (Type C)
  10. (CRT) Opposition to discriminatory mandated employee training, that specifically pushes indoctrination and/or messaging that problematizes the inherent characteristics of the employees (protection from self-incrimination – Amendment V) (Type C)
  11. Opposition to data mining, collection, tracking, and sale of private information (protections against “unreasonable search & seizure” / ”privacy protections” – Amendment IV) (Type C)
  12. Opposition to government/business vaccine mandates (Type C)

What discretely conservative actions do you score on Basic Freedoms?

We do not score any discretely conservative actions on Basic Freedoms. That means we find that all Basic Freedoms actions essentially have an opposite position.

What actions to you score as Liberal on Basic Freedoms?

Generally Liberal actions on Basic Freedoms include:

  1. Opposition to RFRA bills and religious liberty protections (Type A)
  2. Belief in LGBTQ/SOGI marriage (Type B)
  3. Promotion/support for the HRC (Type A)
  4. Condemnation or opposition to Christian practices, rhetoric, business, or organizations (Type A)
  5. Support for/denial of media censorship and censorship on free-speech platforms (Type C)
  6. Promotion/support for the Equality Act or any other LGBTQ/SOGI legislation that specifically encroaches on religious beliefs or practices. (Type A)
  7. Opposition to prayer rights protections (Type A)
  8. General support for the Obergefell v. Hodges (2015) verdict (or support for gay marriage) (Type B)
  9. Opposition to 3D printed firearms (freedom of speech – code is speech) (Type C)
  10. (CRT) Promotion/support for discriminatory mandated employee training, that specifically pushes indoctrination and/or messaging that problematizes the inherent characteristics of the employees (protection from self-incrimination – Amendment V) (Type C)
  11. Support for data mining, collection, tracking, and sale of private information (protections against “unreasonable search & seizure” / ”privacy protections” – Amendment IV) (Type C)
  1. Support for or implementation of government/business vaccine mandates (Type C)

What discretely liberal actions do you score on Basic Freedoms?

  1. Signatory on CEO Action Pledge (Type C)
  2. Signatory to Obergefell v. Hodges (2015) amicus brief (Type C)
  3. A score of 75 or higher achieved on HRC Corporate equality index (subject to change) (Type C)

Why did you change the name of your First Amendment issue to Basic Freedoms?

We apply our scores to American companies to inform consumers, investors and corporations. Because our scores are applied to publicly traded companies, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), we were required to change the name of this issue to avoid any implication that public companies are required to adhere to the First Amendment. We now more broadly use the term Basic Freedoms to recognize that all companies and organizations should recognize the liberties of individuals regardless of where they work, shop or invest.

How are your definitions of Basic Freedoms applied to publicly traded companies?

Upon our sister company’s launch of the 1st Amendment ETF, the SEC sent comments to 2ndVote Funds taking issue with two items: 1.) the name of the issue and the basis of the ETF was misleading or unclear or inappropriate to our context because the Constitution does not apply to businesses and corporations, and 2.) our evaluations of LGBTQ issues was seen as problematic, overly-broad, and/or discriminatory. Both items were reconciled in the Basic Freedoms name change and the specification of how LGBTQ-related data pertains to our scoring criteria and not a mandate on companies.

  Questions on The Second Amendment:

 

What is your position on the Second Amendment?

The right to “keep and bear arms” means that whatever armament available to the government should also be kept by the governed, thus ensuring equal advantage in a moment of tyranny.

What are the types of issues you score on the Second Amendment?

Company scores on the issue of the 2nd Amendment are impacted and determined by donations, stances, affiliations, and actions pertaining to the following types:

  1. Original Purpose & Historical Understanding
  2. Legislation & Legal Action
  3. The People & Firearms Culture

What actions to you score as Conservative on the 2nd Amendment?

Generally Conservative actions on the 2nd Amendment include:

  1. Promotion/support for Originalist/historical understanding of 2nd Amendment (Type A)
  2. Opposition to ALL gun control legislation, organizations, measures, executive orders, agencies, etc. (Legislation: universal background checks, registration, mandatory or voluntary “buy-backs”, firearms bans, ammunition bans, magazine bans, magazine capacity restrictions, red flag laws, will-issue permits, no-knock raids, concealed carry restrictions, banning online sales, banning gun show sales, etc.) (Type B)
  3. Promotion/support for no limitations on citizen arms ownership (including armor) (Type A)
  4. Promotion/support for 3D printed firearms (Type C)
  5. Promotion/support for right to self-defense protections (ie. Stand Your Ground, Castle Doctrine, Concealed Carry reciprocity, Constitutional Carry) (Type B)
  6. Promotion/support for 2nd Amendment organizations (Type C)

What discretely conservative actions do you score on the 2nd Amendment?

  1. Promotion/advocacy for responsible and proficient gun ownership/practices (Type A)
  2. Promotion/support for Mil/LE/Civilian armament parity (Type A)
  3. Promotion/support for “protection from tyranny” philosophy (Type A)
  4. Promotion/advocacy for advanced civilian training (Type C)
  5. Promotion/support for repeal of the NFA (1934) (Type B)

What actions to you score as Liberal on the 2nd Amendment?

Generally Liberal actions on the 2nd Amendment include:

  1. Promotion/support for “living document” understanding of 2nd Amendment (Type A)
  2. Promotion/support for ANY gun control legislation, organizations, measures, executive orders, agencies, etc. (Legislation: universal background checks, registration, mandatory or voluntary “buy-backs”, firearms bans, ammunition bans, magazine bans, magazine capacity restrictions, red flag laws, will-issue permits, no-knock raids, concealed carry restrictions, banning online sales, banning gun show sales, etc.) (Type B)
  3. Promotion/support for limitations on citizen arms ownership (Type A)
  4. Opposition to 3D printed firearms (Type C)
  5. Opposition to right to self-defense protections (ie. Stand Your Ground, Castle Doctrine, Concealed Carry reciprocity, Constitutional Carry) (Type B)
  6. Condemnation/opposition of 2nd Amendment organizations (Type C)

What discretely liberal actions do you score on the 2nd Amendment?

  1. Promotion/support for gun free zones (Type C)
  2. Promotion/support for the ability to sue firearms manufacturers for “complicity” firearms crime (Type B)
  3. Use of “common sense gun reform” rhetoric (Type B)
  4. Use of “assault weapons” terminology (Type C)
  5. Promotion/support for amending/repealing the 2nd Amendment (Type A)

  Questions on Civil Safe Society:

 

What is your position on the military, law enforcement, and border security?

2ndVote supports the traditional values that have made the United States exceptional:  civility, respect for the law, respect for those who serve to protect our society, and government that is faithful to our states’ and federal constitutions.

What are the types of issues you score on Civil-Safe Society?

Company scores on the issue of Civil-Safe Society are impacted and determined by donations, stances, affiliations, and actions pertaining to the following types:

  1. Immigration & Citizenship
  2. Law Enforcement & First Responders
  3. Civility & Social Order
  4. Institutional Integrity & National Security
  5. Veterans Affairs

What actions to you score as Conservative on Civil-Safe Society?

Generally Conservative actions on Civil-Safe Society include:

  1. Opposition to open borders/support for increased border security (Type A)
  2. Opposition to increased illegal immigrant protections (Type A)
  3. Opposition to increased benefits/aid to illegal immigrants (Type A)
  4. Opposition to increased refugee traffic (Type A)
  5. Promotion/support for merit-based immigration laws (Type A)
  6. Opposition to DREAM Act (Type A)
  7. Opposition to DACA (Type A)
  8. Promotion/support for enforcing existing legal immigration avenues (Type A)
  9. Opposition to the abolishment of ICE (Type A)
  10. General support (rhetorical/narrative) for law enforcement (Type B)
  11. Opposition to defunding/abolishing police departments (Type B)
  12. Support for pro-police organizations (Type B)
  13. Opposition to riots as a valid form of protest (Amendment I) (Type C)
  14. Promotion/support for Conservative protests and/or non-violent armed protests (Amendment I) (Type C)
  15. Opposition to complicity in damage or destruction of property (Amendment V) (Type C)
  16. Support for citizen armed protection of property and business (Amendment V) (Type C)
  17. General support for current legal structures and institutions (Type D)
  18. Support for/ prioritization of national security measures (support for Israel) (Type D)
  19. Prioritization of due process of law (Amendment V) (Type D)
  20. Opposition to nationalization of law enforcement (Type B)

What discretely conservative actions do you score on Civil-Safe Society?

  1. Facilitation/provision of education for legal immigration pathways and citizenship tests (Type A)
  2. Support for veterans organizations (Type E)

What actions to you score as Liberal on Civil-Safe Society?

Generally Liberal actions on Civil-Safe Society include:

  1. Promotion/support for open borders (Type A)
  2. Promotion/support for increased illegal immigrant protections (Type A)
  3. Promotion/support for increased benefits/aid to illegal immigrants (Type A)
  4. Promotion/support for increased refugee traffic (Type A)
  5. Promotion/support for universal-acceptance immigration laws (Type A)
  6. Promotion/support for DREAM Act (Type A)
  7. Promotion/support for DACA (Type A)
  8. Promotion/support for more inclusive immigration avenues (Type A)
  9. Promotion/support for abolishment of ICE (Type A)
  10. General opposition (rhetorical/narrative) to law enforcement (Type B)
  11. Support for defunding/abolishing police departments (Type B)
  12. Support for anti-police organizations (Type B)
  13. Support for riots as a valid form of protest (riot apologists – Amendment I) (Type C)
  14. Condemnation of Conservative protests and/or armed protest (Amendment I) (Type C)
  15. Support for complicity in damage or destruction of property (Amendment V) (Type C)
  16. Opposition to citizen armed protection of property and business (Amendment V) (Type C)
  17. General opposition to current legal structures and institutions (Type D)
  18. Opposition to/disregard for national security measures (Anti-Israel?) (Type D)
  19. Disregard or devaluation of due process of law (Amendment V) (Type D)
  20. Support for nationalization of law enforcement

What discretely conservative actions do you score on Civil-Safe Society?

We do not score any discretely liberal scorable actions on Civil-Safe Society.

  Questions on Education:

 

What is your position on Education?

2ndVote recognizes the importance of education policy and how vital it is for America to continue being a leader in a global economy. We oppose Common Core and support School Choice. We believe schools are secondary to the family in teaching children values.

What are the types of issues you score on Education?

Company scores on the issue of Education are impacted and determined by donations, stances, affiliations, and actions pertaining to the following types:

  1. Malpractice of Education
  2. School Choice
  3. Supported Curriculum

What actions to you score as Conservative on Education?

Generally Conservative actions on Education include:

  1. Opposition to Common Core education standards (Type A)
  2. Promotion/support for school choice (Type B)
  3. Promotion/support for charter schools (Type B)
  4. Promotion/support for school vouchers (Type B)
  5. Opposition to public Pre-K (indoctrination) (Type A)

What discretely conservative actions do you score on Education?

  1. Promotion/support for STEM/STEAM education programs (Type C)
  2. Promotion/support for homeschooling/programs (Type B)
  3. Promotion/support for vocational training and trade school education (Type C)

What actions to you score as Liberal on Education?

  1. Promotion/support for Common Core education standards (Type A)
  2. Opposition to school choice (Type B)
  3. Opposition to charter schools (Type B)
  4. Opposition to school vouchers (Type B)
  5. Promotion/support for public Pre-K (indoctrination) (Type A)

What discretely liberal actions do you score on Education?

  1. Promotion/support for social justice-based learning programs (CRT). See SEL/DEI (Type A)
  2. Promotion/support for “1619” Project (Type A)

  Questions on Environment:

 

What is your position on the Environment?

2ndVote supports efforts of environmental stewardship and efficiency. We oppose extreme environmental policies and over-regulation that stifle innovation and growth with minimal or no benefit to production, man-kind or the environment.

What are the types of issues you score on the Environment?

Company scores on the issue of the Environment are impacted and determined by donations, stances, affiliations, and actions pertaining to the following types:

  1. Principles & Rhetoric
  2. Legislation & Overreach
  3. Practical Environmentalism

What actions to you score as Conservative on Environment?

Generally Conservative actions on Environment include:

  1. Promotion/support for environmental stewardship principles/practices/measures (non-government based) (Type A)
  2. Opposition to Paris Climate Agreement (2015) (Type B)
  3. Opposition to Cap and Trade (Type B)
  4. Opposition to Carbon tax (Type B)

What discretely conservative actions do you score on Environment?

  1. Promotion/support for local conservation/preservation programs and organizations (Type C)

What actions to you score as Liberal on Environment?

Generally Liberal actions on Environment include:

  1. Promotion/support for alarmist environmental principles/practices/measures (globalized and government based) (Type A)
  2. Promotion/support for Paris Climate Agreement (2015) (Type B)
  3. Promotion/support for Cap and Trade (Type B)
  4. Promotion/support for Carbon tax (Type B)

What Discretely liberal actions do you score on Environment?

  1. Promotion/support for Climate Change-/Global Warming-centric policies (Type C)
  2. Promotion/support for subjection of US business to international standards (Type C)

Still have unanswered questions?

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