How Did Science Become So Polarizing?

For most of the past half century, Americans of both parties expressed high levels of trust in science, coinciding with bipartisan support for investment in scientific research. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, however, that dynamic has shifted, with Republicans reporting declining trust even while Democrats planted lawn signs reading “In this house we believe in science.” 

“Over the past decade, trust in science has emerged as a central dividing line in our society, fueling a strange new politics of science,” M. Anthony Mills and Price St. Clair write in a recent article. Join us for a conversation about how science has become such a polarizing subject in American life, and what that means for such diverse issues as public health and science funding. What can the scientific enterprise do to rebuild trust across the political spectrum?

Panelists

• Cary Funk, senior advisor, Aspen Institute Science & Society Program.
• Emily Garner, senior analyst, Lake Research Partners.
• M. Anthony Mills, senior fellow and director of the Center for Technology, Science, and Energy, American Enterprise Institute.
• Tobin Smith, senior vice president for government relations & public policy, Association of American Universities.
• Torie Bosch (moderator), first opinion editor, STAT News.