Trust in science is crucial to resolving societal problems. Americans across political ideologies have high levels of trust in science—a stable pattern observed over the past 50 years. Yet, trust in science varies by individual and group characteristics and faces several threats, from political actors, increased political polarization, or global crises. We revisit historical trends of trust in science among Americans by political orientation. We find steadily diverging trends by political views since the 1990s, and a drastically and rapidly opening gap since 2018. Recent unprecedented changes are driven not only by decreases in trust among conservatives but also by increases among liberals. Existing theoretical accounts do not fully explain these patterns. Diverging attitudes toward the institution of science can diminish capacity for collective problem-solving, eroding the shared foundation for decision-making and political discourse.

Manjana Milkoreit

E. Keith Smith

Public Understanding of Science

Public Understanding of Science is a fully peer reviewed international journal covering all aspects of the inter-relationships between science (including technology and medicine) and the public. Public Understanding of Science is the only journal to cover all aspects of the inter-relationships between science (including technology and medicine) and the public.    Topics Covered Include...    ·surveys of public understanding and attitudes towards science and technology    ·perceptions of science    ·popular representations of science    ·scientific and para-scientific belief systems    ·science in schools

Public Understanding of Science is a fully peer-reviewed international journal that covers all aspects of the inter-relationships between science (including technology and medicine) and the public. It is the only journal dedicated to exploring these inter-relationships comprehensively. Topics covered include surveys of public understanding and attitudes towards science and technology, perceptions of science, popular representations of science, scientific and para-scientific belief systems, and science education in schools.

《Public Understanding of Science》是一本经过严格同行评审的国际期刊，涵盖科学（包括技术和医学）与公众之间相互关系的各个方面。该期刊是唯一专注于科学（包括技术和医学）与公众之间所有相互关系的期刊。涵盖的主题包括：公众对科学和技术的理解与态度调查、对科学的认知、科学的流行表现、科学与伪科学信仰体系、以及学校中的科学教育等。

Category	Quartile
文学	2
文学, 科学史与科学哲学	1
文学, 传播学	3

Rapidly diverging public trust in science in the United States

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Journal Info

Category	Quartile
HISTORY & PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE	1