Climate Change in the American Mind: Politics & Policy

The report finds that a majority of registered U.S. voters prefer candidates who support action on global warming and support various clean energy policies, including a transition to 100% clean energy by 2050. While there is broad support for the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 after it is described, awareness of the law remains low. The findings highlight a significant trust deficit toward fossil fuel companies and a general perception that the U.S. government is not responding effectively to climate change. Despite this, actual political and consumer activism remains relatively low, and collective efficacy—the belief that citizens can influence government and corporate action—is limited to less than half of the electorate.

• A majority of registered voters (57%) prefer to vote for a candidate who supports action on global warming, with strong support among liberal Democrats (95%) and very low support among conservative Republicans (13%).
• Registered voters support several specific climate policies: 85% support federal funding for soil carbon sequestration by farmers, 72% support tax rebates for energy-efficient vehicles or solar panels, and 64% support transitioning the U.S. economy to 100% clean energy by 2050.
• While 71% of registered voters support the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) after reading a description, only 36% have heard 'a lot' or 'some' about the law, and 41% have heard 'nothing at all'.
• There is a widespread belief that the U.S. government is failing to respond well to global warming, with only 12% of registered voters agreeing that the response is adequate.
• Public trust in fossil fuel companies is low, with only 18% of registered voters trusting them to act in the public's best interest, and 70% believing these companies have too much influence on government decisions.
• A majority of registered voters (60%) believe the U.S. should reduce greenhouse gas emissions regardless of the actions of other countries, and most support providing financial aid to developing countries for mitigation (60%) and adaptation (57%).
• Actual political engagement is low: only 14% of registered voters signed a petition about global warming in the past year, and only 7% contacted government officials to urge action.
• Collective efficacy is limited, as only 42% of registered voters are confident that people like them, working together, can affect federal government actions on global warming.
• There is strong consensus on climate education, with 75% of registered voters agreeing that schools should teach children about the causes, consequences, and solutions to global warming.

APA

Center for Climate Change Communication (2023). Climate Change in the American Mind: Politics & Policy. https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/climate-change-american-mind-politics-policy-fall-2023.pdf

Chicago

Center for Climate Change Communication. Climate Change in the American Mind: Politics & Policy. 2023. https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/climate-change-american-mind-politics-policy-fall-2023.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Center for Climate Change Communication |title=Climate Change in the American Mind: Politics & Policy |date=September 2023 |url=https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/climate-change-american-mind-politics-policy-fall-2023.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centerforclimatechangecommunication2023climate, author = {{Center for Climate Change Communication}}, title = {{Climate Change in the American Mind: Politics \& Policy}}, institution = {Center for Climate Change Communication}, year = {2023}, month = sep, url = {https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/climate-change-american-mind-politics-policy-fall-2023.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }