Climate Change in the American Mind: Politics & Policy

The report presents survey data from October 2023 on the attitudes of 906 registered U.S. voters. It finds broad support for clean energy policies and a preference for candidates who support climate action, though significant political polarization remains. While majorities support the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 and transitioning to clean energy by 2050, trust in fossil fuel companies is low, and actual political and consumer activism remains relatively infrequent.

• A majority of registered voters (57%) prefer to vote for a candidate for public office who supports action on global warming, with strong support among liberal Democrats (95%) and low support among conservative Republicans (13%).
• Registered voters show high support for several specific climate policies: 85% support federal funding for farmers to improve soil carbon storage, 72% support tax rebates for energy-efficient vehicles or solar panels, and 71% support rebates for electric appliances like heat pumps.
• There is broad support for a clean energy transition, with 64% of registered voters supporting a transition of the U.S. economy from fossil fuels to 100% clean energy by 2050, and 63% supporting a requirement for electric utilities to produce 100% renewable electricity by 2035.
• While 71% of registered voters support the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA) after reading a description, only 36% have heard 'a lot' or 'some' about the law. Furthermore, fewer than half of voters believe the IRA will help 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% of registered voters trusting them to act in the public's best interest, and 70% agreeing that 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. Additionally, 60% support providing financial aid and technical support to developing countries for mitigation, and 57% support aid for adaptation.
• Actual political engagement is low: only 14% of registered voters signed a petition about global warming in the past year, 11% donated to a related organization, and 4% volunteered their time.
• There is a gap between willingness and action regarding political engagement; for example, 51% say they would sign a petition if asked by someone they respect, but only 14% have done so in the past year.
• Collective efficacy is relatively low, with 42% of registered voters feeling moderately confident that people like them, working together, can affect federal government actions on global warming, and 40% feeling the same regarding corporations.
• There is strong consensus on education, with 75% of registered voters agreeing that schools should teach children about the causes, consequences, and potential solutions to global warming.

APA

Yale Program on Climate Change Communication (2023). Climate Change in the American Mind: Politics & Policy. https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/app/uploads/2023/11/climate-change-american-mind-politics-policy-fall-2023.pdf

Chicago

Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. Climate Change in the American Mind: Politics & Policy. 2023. https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/app/uploads/2023/11/climate-change-american-mind-politics-policy-fall-2023.pdf.

Wikipedia

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

BibTeX

@techreport{yaleprogramonclimatechangecommunication2023climate, author = {{Yale Program on Climate Change Communication}}, title = {{Climate Change in the American Mind: Politics \& Policy}}, institution = {Yale Program on Climate Change Communication}, year = {2023}, month = sep, url = {https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/app/uploads/2023/11/climate-change-american-mind-politics-policy-fall-2023.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }