Americans are divided over scientists' part in making policies
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Americans are divided about what role scientists should play in crafting public policies, with Democrats far more likely than Republicans to say they should play an active part, according to a new survey by the Pew Research Center.
Why it matters: Partisan differences in trust of scientists could influence who helps devise policies in the new Trump administration — and beyond — as the world faces climate change, new pathogens, AI and other complex challenges.
The big picture: Americans' trust in scientists ticked up slightly from last year but remains lower than it did before the pandemic, according to the survey.
- Some scientists erred at times in their pandemic-era messaging about masking and vaccines, and policies were politicized and warped by misinformation and disinformation — all of which left a lasting impact on Americans' trust in science.
By the numbers: In the survey of nearly 10,000 U.S. adults in October, 76% said they have a "fair amount" or "great deal" of confidence that scientists act in the public's best interest.
- That's up from 73% in 2023 and is "a halt to the decline seen during the COVID-19 pandemic," according to the report.
- But it is still less than at the start of the pandemic: 87% of people surveyed in April 2020 reported a similar degree of confidence in scientists.
Zoom in: Democrats and Democratic-leaning respondents have a higher level of trust in scientists than Republicans and people who lean Republican.
- But Republicans' confidence in scientists rose over the past year from 61% to 66% saying they had a great deal or fair amount of trust.
- Since 2020, the share of Democrats who said they had a "great deal" of confidence in scientists fell significantly.
- Overall, nearly 90% of Americans said scientists are "intelligent"and 65% said they are working on solving "real-world problems" but just 65% of Americans said scientists are "honest."
Between the lines: Roughly three in four Americans trust scientists but they are divided about what role scientists should take in crafting policies.
- "Overall, 51% say scientists should take an active role in public policy debates about scientific issues," according to the report.
- But, "nearly as many (48%) say they should focus on establishing sound scientific facts and stay out of public policy."
- There are stark partisan differences: 35% of Republicans said scientists should have a role compared to 67% of Democrats.
How they did it: Pew surveyed nearly 9,600 adults in the U.S. between Oct. 21-27.
