Americans' Trust Toward Science Is Still Declining

A recent report claims Americans' favorable opinions of science and confidence in experts have decreased.

This fall, 8,842 American people were chosen at random to participate in a survey by the Pew Research Center, a nonpartisan American think tank based in Washington, D.C., their opinions on science and scientists.

They discovered that, compared to 12% who stated the same thing in April 2020, over a quarter of Americans, or 27%, claimed they had little to no faith in scientists to act in the public's best interests.

"Ratings of medical scientists mirror the trend seen in ratings of scientists generally."

- Pew Research Center

The decline of public trust in science

According to the study, those with a high faith in science are more likely to follow professional advice and adopt preventative measures like vaccinating against COVID-19 and the flu.

But the percentage of people who said they had the highest confidence in scientists dropped from 39% in 2020 to 23% in 2021.

Moreover, fewer Americans now believe that science has a good influence on society than there was a few years ago.

57% of participants in the study stated that science has, for the most part, had a good impact on society, up from 65% in November 2021.

It's also true that 73% of American adults stated they had a great lot or fair amount of confidence in scientists to act in the public interest, notwithstanding recent reductions in general attitude.

Mistrust has developed as public confidence in scientists has declined. Up from 12% in April 2020, almost 27% of Americans now believe they have little to no faith in scientists to act in the public's best interests.

Furthermore, political polarization, the growing differences between Republican and Democratic perspectives on various topics and mindsets, has taken center stage in American politics.