As partisan debates rage on about urgent issues like the Covid-19 pandemic and climate change, a new survey finds that Republicans have less confidence in science by nearly a third since 1975.
The Gallup poll—conducted from July 1 to July 5 in a survey of 1,381 adults—found less than half of Republicans (45%) have a “great deal” or “quite a lot” of confidence in science, 27 points lower than in 1975, the last time the polling center asked the question.
Democrats are 34 points more likely than Republicans to have confidence in science, a wide partisan split that did not exist in 1975, when GOP voters (72%) were just 5 points more likely than Democrats (67%) to have confidence in science.
The Democratic rate has surged 12 points since 1975 to 79%, while the figure among independents dropped 8 points to 65%.
Confidence in science among all Americans has dipped 6 points since 1975, to 64%.
The poll comes after a year in which Democrats and Republicans sparred over the response to the Covid-19 pandemic and how mask mandates, lockdowns and other restrictions should be enforced. Overall, Democrats were more inclined to favor restrictions, as polling showed they took the pandemic more seriously. While leading the U.S. response to the pandemic, President Donald Trump attacked health experts such as Dr. Anthony Fauci, refused to wear a mask until months after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended to do so and touted unproven Covid-19 treatments. With the U.S. now focused on the vaccine rollout, Republicans have emerged as the key roadblock to achieving herd immunity. All 18 states that reached President Joe Biden’s goal of vaccinating 70% of their adults by July 4 voted for Biden in 2020, while polling continues to show Republicans having the highest levels of vaccine hesitancy. Prominent members of the party, such as Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), have led a crusade to raise doubts about the safety of vaccines.
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