{"id":659112,"date":"2025-07-08T09:32:53","date_gmt":"2025-07-08T13:32:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/?p=659112"},"modified":"2025-07-08T09:32:53","modified_gmt":"2025-07-08T13:32:53","slug":"study-widespread-disapproval-trump-administrations-interventions-659112","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/study-widespread-disapproval-trump-administrations-interventions-659112\/","title":{"rendered":"Study: Widespread disapproval of federal interventions in science, public health"},"content":{"rendered":"

The findings, based on a sweeping national survey, help quantify the public\u2019s verdict on recent federal policies.<\/strong><\/h2>\n

A new report based on a sweeping national survey finds Americans are deeply concerned about the government interventions in science and health that have reshaped the country\u2019s research landscape.<\/p>\n

The report, American Attitudes Toward Government Interventions in Science<\/em><\/a>, is the latest release from The Civic Health and Institutions Project<\/a> (CHIP)\u2014a nonprofit joint initiative of the University of Rochester<\/a>, Harvard University, Northeastern University, and Rutgers University. Based on a survey of 31,062 Americans across 50 states, the study provides the most comprehensive portrait to date of how recent federal efforts to curtail science funding, dismiss public health officials, and suppress research data are landing with the public.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Trump administration\u2019s moves to dismantle key scientific institutions have had far-reaching effects on knowledge producing institutions,\u201d says Rochester political scientist James Druckman<\/a>, a coauthor of the study and a nationally recognized expert<\/a> on political polarization. \u201cThe public seems aware of the impacts and are generally concerned. This report helps quantify the public\u2019s reactions on a national scale.\u201d<\/p>\n

A stark public verdict<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Among the study\u2019s most striking findings is a sharp imbalance in public opinion regarding the Trump administration\u2019s science-related policies.<\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>Trust is substantially down, but science still holds a privileged place in the public mind.\u201d<\/div>\n

Across all demographics and political affiliations, disapproval of the administration\u2019s actions outpaces approval by more than two to one. On average, 48 percent of Americans disapprove or strongly disapprove of these policies, while only 21 percent approve.<\/p>\n

The most negatively received decisions include halting the dissemination of public health information (51 percent disapproval) and firing scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (50 percent disapproval). Even among Republican respondents, nearly half (48 percent) support more funding for medical research\u2014suggesting that some of the administration\u2019s most controversial moves are out of step with its own base.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe report shows that even in an era of deep political division, support for medical research and funding remains one of the few areas of bipartisan consensus,\u201d Druckman says.<\/p>\n

The University of Rochester at the forefront<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Druckman\u2019s contributions to the report and his longtime association with CHIP underscores the University of Rochester\u2019s leadership in civic research, public health, and the study of democratic institutions.<\/p>\n

The project\u2019s work builds on a long-running survey initiative that Druckman and scholars from the other participating institutions of higher learning began at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, it has grown into one of the most robust sources of data on American political attitudes.<\/p>\n

CHIP is funded by the National Science Foundation, the Knight Foundation, the Russell Sage Foundation, and the Peter G. Peterson Foundation, and includes contributions from Rochester graduate and undergraduate researchers.<\/p>\n

A decline in trust\u2014but not in relevance<\/strong><\/h3>\n

In addition to gauging opinion on federal policies, the report tracks public trust in scientists\u2014a key factor in public health and science communication. Trust in scientists has fallen dramatically, from 58 percent in 2020 to just 36 percent in 2025, driven largely by a 28-point drop among Republicans over that time.<\/p>\n

Despite the trends, the report finds that scientists and doctors remain among the most trusted professions in the country\u2014far outpacing members of Congress, journalists, and even justices of the Supreme Court.<\/p>\n

\u201cTrust is substantially down, but science still holds a privileged place in the public mind,\u201d Druckman notes. \u201cThat\u2019s both a warning and a window of opportunity for institutions of higher education to lead with transparency, integrity, and public engagement.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The findings, based on a sweeping national survey, help quantify the public\u2019s verdict on recent federal policies.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1262,"featured_media":659272,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[456],"tags":[21462,41172,18572,16072],"class_list":["post-659112","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-society-culture","tag-department-of-political-science","tag-james-druckman","tag-research-finding","tag-school-of-arts-and-sciences"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nStudy: Widespread disapproval of federal interventions in science, public health<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The findings, based on a sweeping national survey, help quantify the public\u2019s verdict on recent federal policies.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, 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