2. Global Warming and Clean Energy as Government Priorities

2.1. About half of registered voters think global warming should be a “high” or “very high” priority for the president and Congress.

About half of registered voters (52%) think global warming should be a high or very high priority for the president and Congress. This includes a large majority of liberal Democrats (87%) and most moderate/conservative Democrats (64%), about half of Independents (48%; refer to data tables, p. 49), and about one in three liberal/moderate Republicans (37%). Few conservative Republicans (13%) think so.

This line graph shows the percentage of registered voters over time since 2008, broken down by political party and ideology, who think global warming should be a “high” or “very high” priority for the president and Congress. About half of registered voters think global warming should be a “high” or “very high” priority for the president and Congress. Data: Climate Change in the American Mind, Spring 2024. Refer to the data tables in Appendix 1 of the report for all percentages.

 

2.2. Most registered voters think developing sources of clean energy should be a “high” or “very high” priority for the president and Congress.

About six in ten registered voters (63%) think developing sources of clean energy should be a high or very high priority for the president and Congress. This includes large majorities of liberal Democrats (95%) and moderate/conservative Democrats (76%), about six in ten Independents (62%; refer to data tables, p. 49), and about half of liberal/moderate Republicans (49%), but only 24% of conservative Republicans. Over the past five to seven years, Republicans’ support for the president and Congress making clean energy a high or very high priority has declined steadily.

This line graph shows the percentage of registered voters over time since 2010, broken down by political party and ideology, who think developing sources of clean energy should be a “high” or “very high” priority for the president and Congress. Most registered voters think developing sources of clean energy should be a “high” or “very high” priority for the president and Congress. Data: Climate Change in the American Mind, Spring 2024. Refer to the data tables in Appendix 1 of the report for all percentages.