Sociologist's Study Reveals Politicians' Influence on Climate Change Perceptions

J. Craig Jenkins, professor of sociology, is the co-author of a new study on the level of influence national political leaders have on how much Americans worry about the threat of climate change. More than extreme weather events and the work of scientists, it is national political leaders who influence how much Americans worry about the threat of climate change.

In a study of public opinion from 2002-10, researchers found that public belief that climate change was a threat peaked in 2006-07 when Democrats and Republicans in Congress showed the most agreement on the issue. But public concern has dropped since then, as partisanship over the issue increased.“It is the political leaders in Washington who are really driving public opinion about the threat of climate change,” said Jenkins. “The politics overwhelms the science.”Read the press release, courtesy of Jeff Grabmeier, Office of Research Communications, http://researchnews.osu.edu/archive/climthreat.htm.