Science May Be The Real Winner In 2021

Summary

Americans across the political spectrum show strong support for science, advocating for increased funding and leadership in scientific research, particularly in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Abstract

The article discusses the findings of a survey by Research!America, revealing that an overwhelming majority of Americans value science and its benefits, with 88% agreeing that the COVID-19 pandemic necessitates a refocus on scientific commitment. Despite political differences, 66% of respondents are willing to pay more in taxes to support scientific research, highlighting a bipartisan consensus on the importance of science in policy-making and public life. The survey also indicates that Americans expect their elected officials to listen to scientists, with a significant 80% emphasizing this point. Moreover, there is a strong endorsement for the U.S. to maintain its global leadership in science, with 89% of adults in support. The article also notes a generational difference, with younger adults showing slightly less enthusiasm for U.S. leadership in science and research funding compared to older adults, though still in majority favor.

Opinions

The public and scientists alike are discouraged by the misinformation spread during the COVID-19 pandemic, yet science remains the standard for reliable information.
There is a consensus that the U.S. should not only continue but also increase its investment in scientific research, as indicated by the willingness to pay higher taxes for this purpose.
The survey reflects a mandate for elected officials to prioritize science, suggesting that Americans view science as crucial for addressing pressing issues.
Concern about climate change has increased, with more Americans recognizing its impact on their health, indicating a growing awareness of environmental science.
The survey underscores the importance of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education, with a strong recommendation for young people to enter STEM fields.
The article implies that the U.S. is lagging in research and development investment compared to other OECD nations, which is a cause for concern among respondents.
Younger adults, while still valuing science, show a slightly lower commitment to U.S. global leadership in scientific research and investment compared to the broader adult population.

Science May Be The Real Winner In 2021

A recent poll shows that Americans overwhelmingly support science. Image by Bill Oxford on Unsplash.

In the aftermath of the 2020 election, an intriguing poll shows that Americans agree on one key issue: science. The survey published by Research!America shows that Americans overwhelmingly support science, regardless of their political parties.

According to the survey analysis, a strong majority of Americans agree that “the Covid-19 pandemic is a disruptive event and requires urgent refocusing of America’s commitment to science.” 88% believe that science benefits them and 89% believe that America should maintain its global leadership in science. Exactly.

The unprecedented avalanche of misinformation that has been spread during the Covid-19 pandemic has been discouraging to both scientists and the public they serve. As people struggle to find the information they need to make decisions about life in the pandemic, the survey indicates that they still consider science the standard.

Not only were survey participants committed to science, but they were also committed to funding for scientific research. Regardless of political affiliation, 66% of respondents were willing to pay $1 more a week in taxes to support scientific research. And that funding is needed because according to a recent report the U.S. is spending less and less on research. In fact, America is now in tenth place among other OECD nations for the share of GDP spent on research and development.

“The level of bipartisan public consensus in this survey shows that support for science is much more than an agreement; it’s a mandate to elected officials to do more. It’s time for a national refocus on science so we may address the top of mind issues for Americans and live up to our full potential as a science-strong nation,” said Mary Woolley, Research! America President and CEO and a co-chair of the working group in a press release.

Do Americans still value science?

Recent events and decreases in funding have led to doubt about how much Americans support science. So Research!America commissioned a nationwide survey on behalf of a working group formed to assess America’s commitment to science. The survey was run by Zogby Analytics in August and included 1,025 adults with an additional sample of 869 adults for minority oversampling.

The results were impressive: Americans are committed to science and they want their representatives to reflect that. 80% believe that it is important for elected officials to listen to scientists, and 81% believe that it is important for scientists to talk to officials. 82% also want scientists to talk to the public.

Beyond this, 76% think that federal government funding for basic science research matters to private sector innovation. 83% said they would strongly or somewhat recommend that their child, family member, or other young person enter a STEM field.

Concern about climate change is also up by 10 points, as 66% say that climate change is impacting their own health compared to 56% when asked the same question in January 2020.

“All elected leaders should take note of the high expectations and enormous support for science held by the American public,” said Sudip Parikh, Ph.D., CEO of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and also a working group co-chair in the press release. “Now is the time to summon all our resolve to assure that America leads the way in solving the challenges facing us and the rest of the planet.”

The survey did show one key difference between age groups. The age group between 18–29 still value science, but less so than their elders. 74% agree that the U.S. should be a global leader in scientific research as compared to 89% of all adults. That influences their view on finance as 69% of the younger adults to support investing a larger share of U.S. GDP in research and development, as compared to 79% of all adults. Nevertheless, even these lower numbers among younger U.S. adults are still sizable majorities.

Science matters to Americans, and they are willing to invest in it.

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