Survey Data on Climate Change Attitudes and Concerns Among Americans

“Climate Change Concerns Grow Among Americans, But Partisan Divide Persists”

A recent survey of 12,638 U.S. adults conducted in January 2020 has revealed a significant shift in attitudes towards climate change among Americans. The data shows that a growing share of Americans believe that addressing climate change should be a top priority for the president and Congress, with the percentage increasing from 38% to 52% over the past four years. However, the change has primarily come from Democrats, with 78% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents now considering climate change a top priority, compared to only 21% of Republicans.

Furthermore, the survey indicates that the majority of Americans now view global climate change as a major threat to the well-being of the United States. Again, the rise in concern has been primarily among Democrats, while there has been no significant change among Republicans since 2013.

Among Democratic voters, there is a near-consensus that climate change is a problem for the U.S., with over 90% of Democratic registered voters supporting leading candidates considering it at least a moderately big problem. On the other hand, only 41% of Republican registered voters believe that climate change is a moderately or very big problem for the country.

The survey also highlights the divide in opinions on climate change policies between Democrats and Republicans. While most Democrats believe that the federal government is not doing enough to protect the climate, opinions among Republicans are divided by ideology, generation, and gender. Conservative Republicans are particularly skeptical about the effectiveness of climate change policies, with only one-quarter believing that such policies do more good than harm for the environment.

Overall, the survey paints a picture of a growing concern about climate change among Americans, with Democrats leading the charge in advocating for more action to address the issue. However, the partisan divide on this issue remains significant, indicating that there is still much work to be done in bridging the gap between Democrats and Republicans on climate change policies.