American confidence in science has split heavily along party lines, according to a Gallup poll released Friday.
The survey found that Democrats were very confident in science, with 79 percent saying they have “a great deal” or “quite a lot” of confidence in the field, compared to just 45 percent of Republicans who said the same. Among independents, 65 percent expressed confidence.
The gap between Democrats and Republicans was the widest of any institution measured in Gallups polls this year.
The last time Gallup polled Americans on their confidence in science was 1975. GOP confidence in science is down 27 percentage points since then, compared with a 12 point increase among Democrats. Confidence declined 8 points among independents.
According to Gallup, the lack of confidence among Republicans may stem from conservative leaders’ allegations of liberal bias in the scientific community. It also tied the mistrust to issues surrounding COVID-19 vaccinations.
Overall, 64 percent of Americans said they have confidence in science.