United States – America’s confidence in science was not shaken up by Trump, although he has repeatedly attacked researchers, researchers show.
Stable Confidence
“The percentage of people with low trust in scientific expertise has increased from 3% in 2016 to 13% in 2020, according to the lead author, Jon Miller, a researcher scientist emeritus at the University of Michigan Center for Political Studies.” “In turn, the increase in the share of Americans having a very high trust in scientific knowledge, the figure rising from 23% to 58%, was more than compensated for.”
The former President, Donal1d Trump, being a key attacker of medical experts, especially Dr. Anthony Fauci, a former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, played a vital role that fueled polarization in the United States during the pandemic but on the positive note, the question of scientific expertise is now a more important one for many Americans, the researchers advised, as reported by Associated Press.
Conservative Republicans’ Trust
Although some critics questioned the reliability and role of scientific advice on topics such as the climate crisis, ecology protection, and the COVID-19 pandemic, an increase in trust and faith in science by conservative Republicans was observed more than the disbelief between 2016 and 2020, the researchers found out.
The study—published online in the Science and Policy Journal in February 2023—explored changes between 2016 and 2020 in the former eight nations alongside a series of national public opinion surveys that commenced in 1957.
The surveys reveal that Americans regard science and technology to be hugely helpful and not yet concerning in terms of dangers.
Impact of Education
In 2016, attending college and showing interest in science and technology, as well as a science or technology level, were the main factors determining whether one likes using science and technology. Fundamentalist religious expectations were the greatest indicators of apprehension about these risks.
Last year, the courses were equally convincing.
The conclusion was that grasping this minimum level of scientific information made it possible for American students who were alienated from science and technology to have access to recent events, particularly the pandemic, as reported by Associated Press.
“The Trump administration’s contempt for scientific and technological expertise was rightly a cause for concern, but our study shows that the American public was by and large unaffected,” Miller said in a university news release. “But it will be necessary to continue to improve and increase the public’s understanding and knowledge of science and technology to ensure that it is equipped to weather any further storms.”