Politicization of Science in the Public Sphere: A Study of Public Trust in the United States, 1974 to 2010

• Published in: American sociological review 2012-04, Vol.77 (2), p.167-187
• Main Author: Gauchat, Gordon
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Attitudes; Bachelors degrees; Church Attendance; Climate change; Communities; Congruence (Psychology); Conservatism; Conservatives; Credibility; Debates; Distrust; Ethnicity; Experts; Fiduciary responsibility; Graduates; Ideology; Industrial development; Knowledge; Liberalism; Literacy; Military technology; Modeling; Modernity; Neoliberalism; Obama, Barack; Policy making; Political attitudes; Political behaviour; Political Divisions (Geographic); Political ideologies; Political ideology; Political parties; Political sociology; Politics; Probabilities; Public access; Public opinion; Public Policy; Public Sphere; Respondents; Science; Science and Society; Science and technology; Scientific Research; Secularism; Sex; Smith, Tom; Social Class; Social classes; Sociology; Sociology of knowledge and ethics; Sociology of knowledge and sociology of culture; Sociology of science; Studies; Trust; U.S.A; United States of America; Yang, Yang
• ISSN: 0003-1224; 1939-8271
• DOI: 10.1177/0003122412438225

This study explores time trends in public trust in science in the United States from 1974 to 2010. More precisely, I test Mooney's (2005) claim that conservatives in the United States have become increasingly distrustful of science. Using data from the 1974 to 2010 General Social Survey, I examine group differences in trust in science and group-specific change in these attitudes over time. Results show that group differences in trust in science are largely stable over the period, except for respondents identifying as conservative. Conservatives began the period with the highest trust in science, relative to liberals and moderates, and ended the period with the lowest. The patterns for science are also unique when compared to public trust in other secular institutions. Results show enduring differences in trust in science by social class, ethnicity, gender, church attendance, and region. I explore the implications of these findings, specifically, the potential for political divisions to emerge over the cultural authority of science and the social role of experts in the formation of public policy.