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

Jun 23, 2023 | All Categories, Climate Change in the American Mind, Politics and Policy

Report Summary

This report is based on findings from a nationally representative survey – Climate Change in the American Mind 

– conducted jointly by the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication and the George Mason University Center for Climate Change Communication. Interview dates: April 18 – May 1, 2023. Interviews: 1,011 adults (18+), 861 of whom are registered to vote. Average margin of error for registered voters: +/- 3 percentage points at the 95% confidence level.

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Principal Investigators:

Anthony Leiserowitz, PhD
Yale Program on Climate Change Communication

Edward Maibach, MPH, PhD
George Mason University Center for Climate Change Communication

Seth Rosenthal, PhD
Yale Program on Climate Change Communication

John Kotcher, PhD
George Mason University Center for Climate Change Communication

For all media and other inquiries, please email:

Yale Program on Climate Change Communication: Lisa Fernandez ([email protected]), Jon Ozaksut ([email protected]), and Eric Fine ([email protected])

George Mason University Center for Climate Change Communication: Edward Maibach ([email protected]) and John Kotcher ([email protected])

Reading Notes

  • This report includes only registered voters.
  • References to Republicans and Democrats throughout include respondents who initially identify as either a Republican or Democrat, as well as those who do not initially identify as a Republican or Democrat but who say they “are closer to” one of those parties (i.e., “leaners”) in a follow-up question. The category “Independents” does not include any of these “leaners.”
  • For tabulation purposes, percentage points are rounded to the nearest whole number. As a result, percentages in a given chart may total slightly higher or lower than 100%. Summed response categories (e.g., “strongly support” + “somewhat support”) are rounded after sums are calculated. For example, in some cases, the sum of 25% + 25% might be reported as 51% (e.g., 25.3% + 25.3% = 50.6%, which, after rounding, is 51%).
  • Weighted percentages among registered voters of each of the groups discussed in this report:
    • Democrats (total) including leaners: 49%
      • Liberal Democrats: 28%
      • Moderate/Conservative Democrats: 21%
        • (Moderate Democrats: 18%; Conservative Democrats: 3%)
    • Republicans (total) including leaners: 36%
      • Liberal/Moderate Republicans: 13%
        • (Liberal Republicans: 1%; Moderate Republicans: 12%)
      • Conservative Republicans: 23%
    • Independents excluding leaners: 11% (included the in results reported for “All Registered Voters” only)
    • No party/Not interested in politics/No response: 3% (included in the results reported for “All Registered Voters” only)
  • The full text of all survey items can be found in the data tables.

Executive Summary

Drawing on a representative sample of the U.S. adult population (n = 1,011; including the 861 registered voters whose data are included in this report), these findings describe how registered voters view a variety of domestic climate and energy policies. The survey was fielded from April 18 – May 1, 2023.

This executive summary presents the results for all registered voters, while the main text of the report also breaks the results down by political party and ideology.

Global Warming and Clean Energy as Government Priorities

  • 54% of registered voters say global warming should be a high or very high priority for the president and Congress.
  • 66% of registered voters say developing sources of clean energy should be a high or very high priority for the president and Congress.

Policies to Reduce the Pollution that Causes Global Warming

Majorities of registered voters support a range of policies to reduce carbon pollution and promote clean energy. These include:

  • 79% support funding more research into renewable energy sources.
  • 76% support providing tax rebates to people who purchase energy-efficient vehicles or solar panels.
  • 76% support providing federal funding to make residential buildings in low-income communities more energy efficient.
  • 75% support developing a national program to train people from low-income communities and communities of color for new jobs in the renewable energy industry (such as wind and solar).
  • 75% support developing a national program to train people who work in the fossil fuel industry for new jobs in the renewable energy industry (such as wind and solar).
  • 74% support regulating carbon dioxide as a pollutant.
  • 71% support providing tax credits or rebates to encourage people to buy electric appliances, such as heat pumps and induction stoves, that run on electricity instead of oil or gas.
  • 68% support requiring fossil fuel companies to pay a tax on the carbon they produce and using the money to reduce other taxes by an equal amount.
  • 66% support requiring electric utilities to produce 100% of their electricity from renewable energy sources by 2035.

Conservation and Restoration Policies

Majorities of registered voters support a range of conservation and restoration policies. These include:

  • 82% support federal funding to help farmers improve practices to protect and restore the soil so it absorbs and stores more carbon.
  • 81% support creating more parks and green spaces in low-income communities and communities of color.

Fossil Fuel Energy Production

  • 57% support expanding offshore drilling for oil and natural gas off the U.S. coast.

Building Climate-Friendly Energy Production and Distribution Infrastructure

Many registered voters support building a range of climate-friendly energy production and distribution infrastructure in their local area. These include:

  • Solar farms: 64%
  • Wind farms: 57%
  • Electric vehicle charging stations: 56%
  • High-voltage power lines to distribute clean energy: 51%
  • Nuclear power plants: 34%

Declaring Climate Change a National Emergency

  • 57% of registered voters support a U.S. president declaring global warming a national emergency if Congress does not take further action.

The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA)

On August 16, 2022, President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) into law. The law aims to curb inflation, reduce prescription drug prices and the cost of health insurance, modernize the Internal Revenue Service, and invest in U.S. clean energy production. The law will be paid for by closing tax loopholes.

  • 39% of registered voters have heard either “a lot” or “some” about the IRA.
  • After reading a short description of the IRA, 71% of registered voters support it.

Who Should Act?

  • Half or more registered voters say the following should do more to address global warming: Corporations and industry (70%), the U.S. Congress (63%), the Republican Party (62%), citizens themselves (61%), their local government officials (57%), their governor (56%), the media (55%), the Democratic Party (55%), President Biden (54%). 47% say they themselves should do more to address global warming.
  • Only 11% of registered voters think the U.S. government is responding well to global warming.

Political Actions to Limit Global Warming

  • 56% of registered voters say they would sign a petition about global warming if a person they like and respect asked them to, although only 17% say they have signed such a petition in the past year.
  • If asked by a person they like and respect, 32% would donate money to an organization working on global warming (compared with 12% who say they have done so in the past year), 31% would volunteer their time to an organization working on global warming (compared with 5% who say they have done so in the past year), and 31% would contact government officials about global warming (compared with 8% who say they have done so in the past year).
  • 27% would support an organization engaging in non-violent civil disobedience against corporate or government activities that make global warming worse, 15% say they would personally engage in non-violent civil disobedience, and 4% say they would be willing to get arrested as part of such an action.
  • 1% are currently participating in a campaign to convince elected officials to take action to reduce global warming, while 9% would “definitely” join such a campaign and 22% would “probably” join one.

Collective Efficacy

  • 51% of registered voters are at least “moderately confident” that people like them, working together, can affect what the federal government does about global warming; 47% are at least “moderately confident” that people like them, working together, can affect what corporations do about global warming.

State and Local Government Action on Global Warming

  • 86% of registered voters support increasing the availability of public transportation in their county.
  • 85% of registered voters support providing funding to help homeowners make energy-efficient improvements to their homes.
  • 79% of registered voters support constructing bike paths and installing bike lanes.

1. Global Warming and Clean Energy as Government Priorities

1.1. More than half of registered voters think global warming should be a “high” or “very high” priority for the president and Congress.

More than half of registered voters (54%) think global warming should be a high or very high priority for the president and Congress (refer to data tables, p. 30). This includes a large majority of liberal Democrats (88%), about two in three moderate/conservative Democrats (69%), and about four in ten liberal/moderate Republicans (41%). Few conservative Republicans (9%) think so.

This line graph shows the percentage of registered voters over time since 2008, broken down by political party and ideology, who think global warming should be a "high" or "very high" priority for the president and Congress. More than half of registered voters think global warming should be a “high” or “very high” priority for the president and Congress. Data: Climate Change in the American Mind, Spring 2023. Refer to the data tables in Appendix 1 of the report for all percentages.

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

About two in three registered voters (66%) think developing sources of clean energy should be a high or very high priority for the president and Congress (refer to data tables, p. 30). This includes large majorities of liberal Democrats (95%) and moderate/conservative Democrats (76%), more than half of liberal/moderate Republicans (56%), but only 30% of conservative Republicans.

This line graph shows the percentage of registered voters over time since 2008, broken down by political party and ideology, who think developing sources of clean energy should be a "high" or "very high" priority for the president and Congress. Most registered voters think developing sources of clean energy should be a “high” or “very high” priority for the president and Congress. Data: Climate Change in the American Mind, Spring 2023. Refer to the data tables in Appendix 1 of the report for all percentages.

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

2.1. Most registered voters support climate-friendly energy policies.

Registered voters across the political spectrum support many energy policies designed to reduce carbon pollution and fossil fuel dependence and promote clean energy, including:

  • Funding more research into renewable energy sources: 79% of registered voters, including 98% of liberal Democrats, 88% of moderate/conservative Democrats, 70% of liberal/moderate Republicans, and 50% of conservative Republicans.
  • Providing tax rebates to people who purchase energy-efficient vehicles or solar panels: 76% of registered voters, including 97% of liberal Democrats, 84% of moderate/conservative Democrats, 69% of liberal/moderate Republicans, and 45% of conservative Republicans.
  • Providing federal funding to make residential buildings in low-income communities more energy efficient: 76% of registered voters, including 95% of liberal Democrats, 84% of moderate/conservative Democrats, 68% of liberal/moderate Republicans, and 47% of conservative Republicans.
  • Developing a national program to train people from low-income communities and communities of color for new jobs in the renewable energy industry (such as wind and solar): 75% of registered voters, including 98% of liberal Democrats, 86% of moderate/conservative Democrats, 72% of liberal/moderate Republicans, and 42% of conservative Republicans.
  • Developing a national program to train people who work in the fossil fuel industry for new jobs in the renewable energy industry (such as wind and solar): 75% of registered voters, including 96% of liberal Democrats, 84% of moderate/conservative Democrats, 70% of liberal/moderate Republicans, and 42% of conservative Republicans.
  • Regulating carbon dioxide as a pollutant: 74% of registered voters, including 95% of liberal Democrats, 85% of moderate/conservative Democrats, 65% of liberal/moderate Republicans, and 42% of conservative Republicans.
  • Providing tax credits or rebates to encourage people to buy electric appliances, such as heat pumps and induction stoves, that run on electricity instead of oil or gas: 71% of registered voters, including 92% of liberal Democrats, 78% of moderate/conservative Democrats, 65% of liberal/moderate Republicans, and 44% of conservative Republicans.
  • Transitioning the U.S. economy (including electric utilities, transportation, buildings, and industry) from fossil fuels to 100% clean energy by 2050: 69% of registered voters, including 93% of liberal Democrats, 84% of moderate/conservative Democrats, 58% of liberal/moderate Republicans, and 30% of conservative Republicans.
  • Requiring fossil fuel companies to pay a carbon tax and using the money to reduce other taxes (such as income tax) by an equal amount [i.e., a revenue-neutral carbon tax]: 68% of registered voters, including 90% of liberal Democrats, 82% of moderate/conservative Democrats, 59% of liberal/moderate Republicans, and 34% of conservative Republicans.
  • Requiring electric utilities to produce 100% of their electricity from renewable energy sources by 2035: 66% of registered voters, including 92% of liberal Democrats, 82% of moderate/conservative Democrats, 58% of liberal/moderate Republicans, and 27% of conservative Republicans.

This dot plot shows the percentage of registered voters, broken down by political party and ideology, who "strongly" or "somewhat" support various energy policies. Most registered voters support climate-friendly energy policies. Data: Climate Change in the American Mind, Spring 2023. Refer to the data tables in Appendix 1 of the report for all percentages.

2.2. Most registered voters support conservation and restoration policies.

Registered voters across the political spectrum support a range of conservation and restoration policies, including:

  • Providing federal funding to help farmers improve practices to protect and restore the soil so it absorbs more carbon: 82% of registered voters, including 95% of liberal Democrats, 90% of moderate/conservative Democrats, 81% of liberal/moderate Republicans, and 61% of conservative Republicans.
  • Creating more parks and green spaces in low-income communities and communities of color: 81% of registered voters, including 95% of liberal Democrats, 89% of moderate/conservative Democrats, 75% of liberal/moderate Republicans, and 59% of conservative Republicans.

This dot plot shows the percentage of registered voters, broken down by political party and ideology, who "strongly" or "somewhat" support various conservation and restoration policies. Most registered voters support conservation and restoration policies. Data: Climate Change in the American Mind, Spring 2023. Refer to the data tables in Appendix 1 of the report for all percentages.

2.3. A majority of registered voters support expanding drilling for oil and natural gas off the U.S. coast.

A majority of registered voters (57%) support expanding offshore drilling for oil and natural gas off the U.S. coast. This includes 81% of conservative Republicans, 78% of liberal/moderate Republicans, 56% of moderate/conservative Democrats, and 28% of liberal Democrats.

This dot plot shows the percentage of registered voters, broken down by political party and ideology, who "strongly" or "somewhat" support expanding offshore drilling for oil and natural gas off the U.S. coast. A majority of registered voters support expanding drilling for oil and natural gas off the U.S. coast. Data: Climate Change in the American Mind, Spring 2023. Refer to the data tables in Appendix 1 of the report for all percentages.

2.4. A majority of registered voters support building climate-friendly energy production and distribution infrastructure in their local area.

Majorities of registered voters support climate-friendly energy production and distribution infrastructure in their local area, including solar farms (64%), wind farms (57%), electric vehicle charging stations (56%), and high-voltage power lines to distribute clean energy (51%). This generally includes majorities of liberal Democrats and moderate/conservative Democrats, and many liberal/moderate Republicans, but fewer conservative Republicans:

  • Solar farms: liberal Democrats, 89%; moderate/conservative Democrats, 65%; liberal/moderate Republicans, 55%; conservative Republicans, 36%.
  • Wind farms: liberal Democrats, 83%; moderate/conservative Democrats, 58%; liberal/moderate Republicans, 48%; conservative Republicans, 29%.
  • Electric vehicle charging stations: liberal Democrats, 89%; moderate/conservative Democrats, 55%; liberal/moderate Republicans, 45%; conservative Republicans, 30%.
  • High-voltage power lines to distribute clean energy: liberal Democrats, 71%; moderate/conservative Democrats, 53%; liberal/moderate Republicans, 35%; conservative Republicans, 35%.

Fewer registered voters support building nuclear power plants in their local area (34%), including 45% of conservative Republicans, 35% of liberal Democrats, 31% of liberal moderate Republicans, and 24% of moderate/conservative Democrats.

This dot plot shows the percentage of registered voters, broken down by political party and ideology, who "strongly" or "somewhat" support building climate-friendly energy production and distribution infrastructure in their local area. A majority of registered voters support building climate-friendly energy production and distribution infrastructure in their local area. Data: Climate Change in the American Mind, Spring 2023. Refer to the data tables in Appendix 1 of the report for all percentages.

2.5. A majority of registered voters would support a president declaring a national emergency to act on global warming.

More than half of registered voters (57%) would either “strongly” (23%) or “somewhat” (34%) support a U.S. president declaring global warming a national emergency to act on it if Congress does not take further action (refer to data tables, p. 36). This would be supported by large majorities of liberal Democrats (91%, with 45% saying they “strongly support” it; refer to data tables) and moderate/conservative Democrats (75%; 29% strongly support). By contrast, 39% of liberal/moderate Republicans and 12% of conservative Republicans would support it, while 86% of conservative Republicans would oppose it (including 72% who would “strongly oppose” it; refer to data tables).

This line graph shows the percentage of registered voters over time since 2019, broken down by political party and ideology, who "strongly" or "somewhat" support a president declaring a national emergency to act on global warming. A majority of registered voters would support a president declaring a national emergency to act on global warming. Data: Climate Change in the American Mind, Spring 2023. Refer to the data tables in Appendix 1 of the report for all percentages.

3. The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA)

3.1. Most registered voters have not heard much about the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022.

On August 16, 2022, President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) into law. The law aims to curb inflation by reducing the federal deficit, lowering prescription drug prices and the cost of health insurance, modernizing the Internal Revenue Service, and investing in U.S. clean energy production. The law authorizes $391 billion for developing clean energy and addressing global warming, including tax incentives and rebates to help consumers and businesses buy energy-efficient appliances, solar panels, electric vehicles, etc. The IRA also includes support for clean energy jobs and investments in communities that are most harmed by air and water pollution. It is the largest investment the U.S. government has ever made to reduce global warming, and it is projected to help the U.S. reduce its carbon pollution 40% by 2030. The law will be paid for by closing tax loopholes.

A majority of registered voters (60%) have heard at least “a little” about the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA; refer to data tables, p. 37), including about four in ten (39%) who have heard either “a lot” (12%) or “some” (27%) about it. Liberal Democrats (48%) and conservative Republicans (45%) are the most likely to have heard “a lot” or “some” about the IRA, while fewer liberal/moderate Republicans (33%) or moderate/conservative Democrats (32%) have. Four in ten registered voters (40%) have heard “nothing at all” about the IRA (refer to data tables).

This dot plot shows the percentage of registered voters, broken down by political party and ideology, who have heard "a lot" or "some" about the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. Most registered voters have not heard much about the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. Data: Climate Change in the American Mind, Spring 2023. Refer to the data tables in Appendix 1 of the report for all percentages.

3.2. A majority of registered voters support the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022.

After reading a brief description of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), a large majority of registered voters (71%) say they support it (36% “strongly support” and 35% “somewhat support”; refer to data tables, p. 37). Nearly all liberal Democrats (98%) and a large majority of moderate/conservative Democrats (89%) support the IRA, as do a majority of liberal/moderate Republicans (57%). By contrast, 28% of conservative Republicans support the IRA, while 70% oppose it (including 46% who strongly oppose it; refer to data tables).

This dot plot shows the percentage of registered voters, broken down by political party and ideology, who "strongly" or "somewhat" support the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. A majority of registered voters support the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. Data: Climate Change in the American Mind, Spring 2023. Refer to the data tables in Appendix 1 of the report for all percentages.

4. Who Should Take Action to Address Global Warming?

4.1. Majorities of registered voters want corporations and industry, citizens, and government to do more to address global warming.

A large majority of registered voters say corporations and industry should do either “much more” or “more” to address global warming (70% of registered voters, including 93% of liberal Democrats, 78% of moderate/conservative Democrats, 65% of liberal/moderate Republicans, and 38% of conservative Republicans).

Half or more of registered voters, including majorities of both liberal and moderate/conservative Democrats, say the U.S. Congress (63%), the Republican Party (62%), citizens themselves (61%), their local government officials (57%), their governor (56%), the media (55%), the Democratic Party (55%), and President Biden (54%) should do more to address global warming. About half (47%) say they themselves should do more.

About half of liberal/moderate Republicans (48%) say their party (the Republican Party) should do more to address global warming, while only 22% of conservative Republicans say so. Majorities of both liberal Democrats (83%) and moderate/conservative Democrats (62%) say their party (the Democratic Party) should do more.

This dot plot shows the percentage of registered voters, broken down by political party and ideology, who think people, including themselves, should be doing "more" or "much more" to address global warming. Majorities of registered voters want corporations and industry, citizens, and government to do more to address global warming. Data: Climate Change in the American Mind, Spring 2023. Refer to the data tables in Appendix 1 of the report for all percentages.

4.2. Across the political spectrum, few registered voters think the U.S. government is responding well to global warming.

Few registered voters agree that the U.S. government is responding well to the issue of global warming (11%). This is true across the political spectrum: Only 16% of liberal Democrats, 14% of moderate/conservative Democrats, 6% of liberal/moderate Republicans, and 9% of conservative Republicans agree.

This dot plot shows the percentage of registered voters, broken down by political party and ideology, who "strongly" or "somewhat" agree that the U.S. government is responding well to the issue of global warming. Across the political spectrum, few registered voters think the U.S. government is responding well to global warming. Data: Climate Change in the American Mind, Spring 2023. Refer to the data tables in Appendix 1 of the report for all percentages.

5. Political Actions to Limit Global Warming

5.1. Relatively few registered voters have engaged in political actions to reduce global warming in the past year.

Relatively few registered voters have engaged in political actions to reduce global warming over the past 12 months, including 17% who say they have signed a petition about global warming at least “once,” and 12% who say they have donated money to an organization working on global warming at least “once.” Fewer (5%) have volunteered their time to an organization working on global warming at least “once” in the past year.

This dot plot shows the percentage of registered voters, broken down by political party and ideology, who have engaged in political actions to reduce global warming at least "once" over the past 12 months. Relatively few registered voters have engaged in political actions to reduce global warming in the past year. Data: Climate Change in the American Mind, Spring 2023. Refer to the data tables in Appendix 1 of the report for all percentages.

5.2. Relatively few registered voters have urged elected officials to reduce global warming.

Eight percent of registered voters have contacted government officials to urge them to take action to reduce global warming at least one time over the past 12 months. This includes 17% of liberal Democrats, 9% of moderate/conservative Democrats, and 6% of liberal/moderate Republicans, but less than 1% of conservative Republicans.

This dot plot shows the percentage of registered voters, broken down by political party and ideology, who have contacted government officials to urge them to take action to reduce global warming at least one time over the past 12 months. Relatively few registered voters have urged elected officials to reduce global warming. Data: Climate Change in the American Mind, Spring 2023. Refer to the data tables in Appendix 1 of the report for all percentages.

5.3. Many registered voters are willing to take political actions to reduce global warming.

More than half of registered voters (56%) say they would sign a petition about global warming, including majorities of liberal Democrats (86%) and moderate/conservative Democrats (68%), but fewer liberal/moderate Republicans (38%) and conservative Republicans (21%). Fewer say they would donate money to an organization working on global warming (32%), contact government officials about global warming (31%), volunteer their time to an organization working on global warming (31%), or meet with an elected official or their staff about global warming (28%).

About one in four registered voters (27%) would support an organization engaging in non-violent civil disobedience against corporate or government activities that make global warming worse, and 15% (including 27% of liberal Democrats) would personally engage in such non-violent civil disobedience.

This dot plot shows the percentage of registered voters, broken down by political party and ideology, who "definitely" or "probably" would take various political actions to reduce global warming if a person they like and respect asked them to. Many registered voters are willing to take political actions to reduce global warming. Data: Climate Change in the American Mind, Spring 2023. Refer to the data tables in Appendix 1 of the report for all percentages.

5.4. Few registered voters would be willing to get arrested as part of a non-violent civil disobedience action.

Although 15% of registered voters say they would personally engage in non-violent civil disobedience against corporate or government activities that make global warming worse (refer to section 5.3), only 5% say they would be willing to get arrested as part of such an action (2% “definitely would,” 3% “probably would”; refer to data tables, p. 45). This includes 10% of liberal Democrats, 4% of moderate/conservative Democrats, 2% of liberal/moderate Republicans, and 1% of conservative Republicans.

According to the most recent data available from the U.S. Census Bureau, there are more than 168 million registered voters in the United States. Given that 2% say they “definitely would” get arrested as part of a non-violent action against activities that make global warming worse, and an additional 3% “probably would,” it suggests that approximately 3 to 8 million registered voters may be willing to do so.

This dot plot shows the percentage of registered voters, broken down by political party and ideology, who "definitely" or "probably" would be willing to get arrested as part of a non-violent civil disobedience action against corporate or government activities that make global warming worse. Few registered voters would be willing to get arrested as part of a non-violent civil disobedience action. Data: Climate Change in the American Mind, Spring 2023. Refer to the data tables in Appendix 1 of the report for all percentages.

5.5. One in three registered voters are participating, or willing to participate, in a campaign to convince elected officials to take action to reduce global warming – although current participation is low.

One in three in ten registered voters (33%) say they are either “definitely” (9%) or “probably” (22%) willing to join a campaign to convince elected officials to take action to reduce global warming or are already currently participating in such a campaign (1%; refer to data tables, p. 45). This includes 63% of liberal Democrats (3% “currently,” 19% “definitely,” 42% “probably”), 33% of moderate/conservative Democrats (1% “currently,” 8% “definitely,” 23% “probably”), 18% of liberal/moderate Republicans (none “currently,” 4% “definitely,” 13% “probably”), and 8% of conservative Republicans (less than 1% “currently,” 1% “definitely,” and 6% “probably”).

This dot plot shows the percentage of registered voters, broken down by political party and ideology, who say they are either "definitely" or "probably" willing to join a campaign to convince elected officials to take action to reduce global warming or are already currently participating in such a campaign. One in three registered voters are participating, or willing to participate, in a campaign to convince elected officials to take action to reduce global warming. Data: Climate Change in the American Mind, Spring 2023. Refer to the data tables in Appendix 1 of the report for all percentages.

6. Collective Efficacy

6.1. About half of Americans are confident they can affect what the federal government and corporations do about global warming.

Perceived collective efficacy regarding global warming – the belief that like-minded citizens can work together to influence what government and business leaders do about global warming – is an important motivator for individuals to take collective action.1 About half of registered voters (51%) are at least “moderately confident” that people like them, working together, can affect what the federal government does about global warming. Many registered voters (47%) are also at least “moderately confident” that people like them, working together, can affect what corporations do about global warming.

Liberal Democrats have the highest perceptions of collective efficacy regarding global warming, while conservative Republicans have the lowest perceptions of collective efficacy, although that may in part be because they are less likely to support action on global warming overall.

This dot plot shows the percentage of registered voters, broken down by political party and ideology, who are "extremely," "very," or "moderately" confident that people can work together to influence what the federal government and corporations do about global warming. About half of Americans are confident they can affect what the federal government and corporations do about global warming. Data: Climate Change in the American Mind, Spring 2023. Refer to the data tables in Appendix 1 of the report for all percentages.

7. State and Local Government Action on Global Warming

7.1. Large majorities of registered voters support climate-friendly policies for their local community.

Across the political spectrum, large majorities of registered voters support climate-friendly policies for their local community, including increasing the availability of public transportation in their county (86%), providing funding to help homeowners make energy-efficient improvements to their homes (85%), and constructing bike paths and installing bike lanes (79%).

This dot plot shows the percentage of registered voters, broken down by political party and ideology, who "strongly" or "somewhat" support various climate-friendly policies for their local community. Large majorities of registered voters support climate-friendly policies for their local community. Data: Climate Change in the American Mind, Spring 2023. Refer to the data tables in Appendix 1 of the report for all percentages.

Appendix I: Data Tables

Data Tables can be found beginning on p. 30 of the PDF version of the report:     Download Full Report

Appendix II: Survey Method

The data in this report are based on a nationally representative survey of 1,011 American adults, aged 18 and older. Results are reported for the subset of 861 registered voters who participated in the survey. The survey was conducted April 16 –May 1, 2023. All questionnaires were self-administered by respondents in a web-based environment. The median completion time for the survey was 22 minutes.

The sample was drawn from the Ipsos KnowledgePanel®, an online panel of members drawn using probability sampling methods. Prospective members are recruited using a combination of random digit dial and address-based sampling techniques that cover virtually all (non-institutional) residential phone numbers and addresses in the United States. Those contacted who would choose to join the panel but do not have access to the Internet are loaned computers and given Internet access so they may participate.

The sample therefore includes a representative cross-section of American adults—irrespective of whether they have Internet access, use only a cell phone, etc. The sample was weighted, post survey, to match key US Census Bureau demographic norms.

From November 2008 to December 2018, no KnowledgePanel® member participated in more than one Climate Change in the American Mind (CCAM) survey. Beginning with the April 2019 survey, panel members who have participated in CCAM surveys in the past, excluding the most recent two surveys, may be randomly selected for participation. In the current survey, 267 respondents, 232 of whom are registered voters included in this report, participated in a previous CCAM survey.

The survey instrument was designed by Anthony Leiserowitz, Seth Rosenthal, Jennifer Carman, Marija Verner, Matthew Ballew, Sanguk Lee, Matthew Goldberg, and Jennifer Marlon of Yale University, and Edward Maibach, John Kotcher, Teresa Myers, and Nicholas Badullovich of George Mason University. The figures and tables were constructed by Emily Goddard of Yale University.

Margins of error

All samples are subject to some degree of sampling error—that is, statistical results obtained from a sample can be expected to differ somewhat from results that would be obtained if every member of the target population was interviewed. Average margins of error, at the 95% confidence level, are as follows:

  • All Registered Voters (n = 861): Plus or minus 3 percentage points.
  • Democrats (total; n = 392): Plus or minus 5 percentage points.
  • Liberal Democrats (n = 230): Plus or minus 7 percentage points.
  • Moderate/conservative Democrats (n = 160): Plus or minus 8 percentage points.
  • Independents (n = 101): Plus or minus 10 percentage points.
  • Republicans (total; n = 334): Plus or minus 5 percentage points.
  • Liberal/moderate Republicans (n = 112): Plus or minus 9 percentage points.
  • Conservative Republicans (n = 220): Plus or minus 7 points.

Rounding error and tabulation

In data tables, bases specified are unweighted, while percentages are weighted to match national population parameters.

For tabulation purposes, percentage points are rounded to the nearest whole number. As a result, percentages in a given chart may total slightly higher or lower than 100%. Summed response categories (e.g., “strongly support” + “somewhat support”) are rounded after sums are calculated. For example, in some cases, the sum of 25% + 25% might be reported as 51% (e.g., 25.3% + 25.3% = 50.6%, which, after rounding, would be reported as 25% + 25% = 51%).

Appendix III: Sample Demographics

Sample demographics can be found on p. 49 of the PDF version of the report:

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Citation

Leiserowitz, A., Maibach, E., Rosenthal, S., Kotcher, J., Goddard, E., Ballew, M., Marlon, J., Verner, M., Lee, S., Carman, J., Myers, T., Goldberg, M., & Badullovich, N. (2023). Climate Change in the American Mind: Politics & Policy, Spring 2023. Yale University and George Mason University. New Haven, CT: Yale Program on Climate Change Communication.

Funding Source

The research was funded by the 11th Hour Project, the Energy Foundation, the MacArthur Foundation, the Heising-Simons Foundation, and the Grantham Foundation.