Americans’ trust in science now deeply polarized, poll shows

By SETH BORENSTEIN and HANNAH FINGERHUT
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans’ faith in science is falling as Democrats rely on it even more, with a trust gap in science and medicine widening substantially during the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s the largest gap in nearly five decades of polling by the General Social Survey, a trend survey conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago that has been measuring confidence in institutions since 1972. That is unsurprising to more than a dozen scientists reached by The Associated Press for comment, but it concerns many of them. Overall, 48% of Americans say they have “a great deal” of confidence in the scientific community. Sixty-four percent of Democrats say that, compared with 34% of Republicans.