Issue: Climate & Health

More Americans are alarmed about climate change. Survey research identified six unique audiences within the American public that each responds to the issue of climate change in their own distinct way: alarmed, concerned, cautious, disengaged, doubtful, and dismissive. Between 2014 and 2020, the percentage of the population that is alarmed by climate change more than doubled and by April of 2020 over half of all American adults were in one of the two most worried segments – alarmed (25%) and concerned (28%).

Dystopian plots focusing on a catastrophic future caused by climate change often immobilize rather than spur action. But decades of evidence and experience from health communication shows that techniques of entertainment-education are effective at changing behaviors. But these are rarely used for climate change (a notable [and hilarious] exception).

Where do Americans stand on election issues? Let them tell you. State- and CD-level data on American voters’ attitudes, including on specific climate policies. 
Nationscape Insights is a featured project of Democracy Fund Voter Study Group and UCLA, in partnership with USA TODAY. Our interactive graphics, updated weekly, delve into this large-scale study of the American electorate. You can explore geographic and demographic breakdowns and more.
The Democracy Fund + UCLA Nationscape Project has been asking Americans about the biggest issues in the 2020 election – the economy, guns, abortion, climate change, to name a few. They’ve asked detailed questions to learn more about voters, nuances in their positions, and how they may evolve.