Despite Growing Partisan Differences, New Polling Pinpoints Areas of Bipartisan Agreement on Climate Policy
💡 What’s the story?
As Election Day nears, new polling from Stanford University, Resources for the Future (RFF), and the survey research firm ReconMR dives into partisan opinions on climate fundamentals and policies.
The findings, published in the report Climate Insights 2024: Partisan Views, are part of a survey series that stretches back to 1997. In that long history of polling data, never before have the opinions of Democrats and Republicans been so different on issues related to climate change. Yet several areas of partisan agreement open opportunities for policymakers to make decisions that most of their constituents agree with.
Policies favored by majorities of Democrats, Independents, and Republicans include:
- Reducing emissions from power plants
- Charging a tax for importing goods with higher carbon footprints than domestic equivalents
- Paying for job training so people can leave the fossil fuel industry
- Filling in abandoned oil wells
- Giving tax breaks to encourage utilities to make more electricity from renewables
- Planting trees to absorb greenhouse gases
- Discontinuing federal subsidies to oil companies
🌎 What are some other key findings?
- Based on several questions that have often been asked over the years, the authors found that the average difference between Republican and Democratic climate opinions is wider than ever at 38 percentage points. This is a major increase from a gap of 27 points in 2020.
- This widening gap is attributable mostly to fewer Republicans adopting “green” opinions. The authors saw relatively little change among Democrats’ and Independents’ opinions.
- Independents favor most climate policies asked about in the survey.
- Few Democrats (50 percent), Independents (24 percent), and Republicans (6 percent) favor increased taxes on gasoline. Even fewer (27 percent, 13 percent, and 3 percent, respectively) favor increased taxes on electricity. These taxes are the only policies asked about of which majorities of all three groups disapprove.
- Majorities of Democrats (95 percent), Independents (77 percent), and Republicans (57 percent) generally endorse US government action to deal with climate change.
These are just a few highlights; the report provides extensive detail about how Democrats, Independents, and Republicans view the threat of climate change to society and their families, potential policy solutions, and issue engagement.
Author Perspective
“The widening gap between Democrats and Republicans may seem daunting for people who are in favor of bipartisan climate policy. However, it’s important to note that 51 percent of the survey respondents are Independents, and they make up a plurality of American voters. Our survey shows that majorities of Independents are positive about climate action. As a subgroup of voters with no commitments to either major party, significant numbers of Independents vote for candidates who share their climate-conscious views.”
—Jon Krosnick, Stanford University professor and RFF university fellow
📊 What is Climate Insights?
The Climate Insights survey is the result of a long-standing polling partnership led by researchers at Stanford, RFF, and ReconMR. This series examines American public opinion on issues related to climate change through rigorous national surveys of random samples of American adults. This year’s reports represent a survey of 1,000 American adults who were interviewed between October 16, 2023, and February 23, 2024, by ReconMR.
The first installment analyzed American understanding of the fundamentals of climate change and its threat to society. The second uncovered areas of agreement and disagreement on climate policy options. Another report, which will be released in the coming weeks, will assess American opinions on environmental justice. 📚 Where can I learn more?
For more, read the report, Climate Insights 2024: Partisan Views, by Stanford University Professor and RFF University Fellow Jon Krosnick and Stanford economist Bo MacInnis.
Resources for the Future (RFF) is an independent, nonprofit research institution in Washington, DC. Its mission is to improve environmental, energy, and natural resource decisions through impartial economic research and policy engagement. RFF is committed to being the most widely trusted source of research insights and policy solutions leading to a healthy environment and a thriving economy.
Unless otherwise stated, the views expressed here are those of the individual authors and may differ from those of other RFF experts, its officers, or its directors. RFF does not take positions on specific legislative proposals.
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