Report · Jun 28, 2023
Climate Change in the American Mind: Politics & Policy, Spring 2023
By Anthony Leiserowitz, Edward Maibach, Seth Rosenthal, John Kotcher, Emily Goddard, Matthew Ballew, Jennifer Marlon, Marija Verner, Sanguk Lee, Jennifer Carman, Teresa Myers, Matthew Goldberg and Nicholas Badullovich
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, 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).
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).
