Lawrence C. Hamilton|Joel Hartter|Katsuya Saito
Trust in Scientists on Climate Change and Vaccines
University of New Hampshire|University of Colorado Boulder|University of New Hampshire
climate change topics conservatives taken positions odds strong scientific consensus claims indicates broad conservative distrust science countered assertions conservatives might oppose scientific consensus climate change evolution liberals oppose scientists domains vaccines evidence disproportionately liberal bias science vaccines largely anecdotal however test proposition opposite biases using 2014 survey data oregon new hampshire across vaccine well climate change questions two surveys find democrats likely say trust scientists information tea party supporters least likely contradicting proposition opposite bias moreover partisan divisions tend widen education theoretical explanations offered liberal trust conservative distrust science specific domains climate change environmental protection fit less well results vaccines given much different content climate change vaccine issues common political pattern appears consistent hypotheses broader ideological divisions acceptance science