Climate Change in the American Mind: Politics & Policy, Fall 2023

A survey of 906 registered U.S. voters in October 2023 reveals broad support for clean energy infrastructure and the Inflation Reduction Act, though significant political polarization persists. While majorities support carbon taxes and transitioning to 100% clean energy by 2050, trust in fossil fuel companies remains low, and actual political or consumer activism is limited despite expressed willingness to act.

• A majority of registered voters support several specific climate policies, including a revenue-neutral carbon tax (66%), transitioning the U.S. economy to 100% clean energy by 2050 (64%), and requiring electric utilities to use 100% renewable energy by 2035 (63%).
• There is strong support for renewable energy on public land (78%) and local clean energy infrastructure, specifically solar farms (61%), wind farms (55%), and electric vehicle charging stations (52%). Conversely, only 31% support building nuclear power plants in their local area.
• While 71% of registered voters support the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) after reading a description, fewer than half believe it will benefit future generations (46%), the health of Americans (45%), or the U.S. economy and jobs (38%).
• Public trust in fossil fuel companies is low, with only 18% trusting them to act in the public's best interest, and 70% believing these companies have too much influence on government decisions.
• Most registered voters support U.S. involvement in international climate efforts, including providing financial aid for mitigation (60%) and adaptation (57%) in developing countries, though only 40% support contributing to a "loss and damage fund."
• There is a gap between the willingness to take action and actual behavior; for example, 51% would sign a petition if asked by someone they respect, but only 14% have signed one in the past year.
• Political polarization is evident in voting preferences: 57% of registered voters prefer a candidate who supports action on global warming, but this is split between 95% of liberal Democrats and only 13% of conservative Republicans.

APA

Leiserowitz, A., Maibach, E., Rosenthal, S., Kotcher, J., Goddard, E., Carman, J., Verner, M., Ballew, M., Marlon, J., Lee, S., Myers, T., Goldberg, M., Badullovich, N., & Thier, K. (2023). Climate Change in the American Mind: Politics & Policy, Fall 2023. Center for Climate Change Communication. https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/all/climate-change-in-the-american-mind-politics-policy-fall-2023/

Chicago

Leiserowitz, A., E. Maibach, S. Rosenthal, J. Kotcher, E. Goddard, J. Carman, M. Verner, et al. Climate Change in the American Mind: Politics & Policy, Fall 2023. Center for Climate Change Communication, 2023. https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/all/climate-change-in-the-american-mind-politics-policy-fall-2023/.

Wikipedia

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BibTeX

@techreport{leiserowitz2023climate, author = {Leiserowitz, A. and Maibach, E. and Rosenthal, S. and Kotcher, J. and Goddard, E. and Carman, J. and Verner, M. and Ballew, M. and Marlon, J. and Lee, S. and Myers, T. and Goldberg, M. and Badullovich, N. and Thier, K.}, title = {{Climate Change in the American Mind: Politics \& Policy, Fall 2023}}, institution = {Center for Climate Change Communication}, year = {2023}, month = nov, url = {https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/all/climate-change-in-the-american-mind-politics-policy-fall-2023/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }