Report · Jan 30, 2025
Climate Change in the American Mind: Politics & Policy, Fall 2024
By Anthony Leiserowitz, Edward Maibach, Seth Rosenthal, John Kotcher, Emily Goddard, Jennifer Carman, Teresa Myers, Marija Verner, Jennifer Marlon, Matthew Goldberg, Joshua Ettinger, Julia Fine and Kathryn Thier
Filed under: Policy & Politics
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, former President Joe 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. 38), but only 36% have heard either “a lot” (12%) or “some” (24%) about it. About half of liberal Democrats (48%) have heard “a lot” or “some” about the IRA, as have 45% conservative Republicans. Fewer moderate/conservative Democrats (30%) or liberal/moderate Republicans (21%) have done so. Four in ten registered voters (40%) have heard “nothing at all” about the IRA.
3.2 After reading a brief description of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, most registered voters support it.
After reading a brief description of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), a large majority of registered voters (70%) say they support it (38% “strongly support” and 32% “somewhat support”; refer to data tables, p. 38). Nearly all liberal Democrats (97%) and moderate/conservative Democrats (92%) support the IRA, as do more than half of liberal/moderate Republicans (56%). In addition, one-third of conservative Republicans (33%) support the IRA, while 67% oppose it (including 45% who strongly oppose it).
