A trust divide

Whoever wins the U.S. presidency will face a deep and growing partisan divide in trust in science among voters, pollsters say. Whereas a majority (53%) of those who identify as Democrats reported having “a great deal” of confidence in scientists in 2022, less than one-quarter (22%) of their Republican counterparts held that opinion, according to the long-running General Social Survey (GSS). That polarization has increased sharply since 2000, when an equal number—48%—of Democrats and Republicans held scientists in high regard.