1. Global Warming and Clean Energy as Government Priorities

Politics & Global Warming, September 2021

1.1. Most Democrats think global warming should be a “high” or “very high” priority for the president and Congress.

As we reported previously, 60% of registered voters think global warming should be a high or very high priority for the president and Congress. This includes large majorities of liberal Democrats (94%) and moderate/conservative Democrats (80%), 53% of Independents (see data tables), and 45% of liberal/moderate Republicans. Relatively few conservative Republicans (17%) think so.

Over the past five years (since November 2016), the percentage of liberal Democrats who think global warming should be a high or very high priority for the president and Congress has increased by 14 percentage points, and the percentage of moderate/conservative Democrats who think so has increased by 11 percentage points.

1.2. Most registered voters think developing sources of clean energy should be a “high” or “very high” priority for the president and Congress.

Sixty-nine percent of registered voters think developing sources of clean energy should be a high or very high priority for the president and Congress (see data tables). This includes nearly all liberal Democrats (98%), a large majority of moderate/conservative Democrats (84%), and most Independents (64%, see data tables), a majority of liberal/moderate Republicans (56%), and one in three conservative Republicans (33%).

Table of Contents

Executive Summary

Reading Notes

1. Global Warming and Clean Energy as Government Priorities

2. Support for Policies to Reduce the Pollution that Causes Global Warming

3. Energy Production as an Economic Issue

4. Who is Responsible for Action on Global Warming?

5. State and Local Government Action on Global Warming

6. Political Actions to Limit Global Warming

7. Educating Students About Global Warming

Appendix I: Data Tables

Appendix II: Survey Method

Appendix III: Demographics