"Republican Voters Are More Pro-Climate Than You Might Think"

"It's the big donors who are driving the party's do-nothing policies."

"The science behind climate change is indisputable. With more than 190 countries signing off on a historic climate deal, the case for action has never been more clear. And yet in the United States, one of the major political parties and most of its presidential candidates stand firmly against even market-friendly policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Why?

This question has vexed pundits, academics, and scientists for decades. New York magazine's Jonathan Chait recently examined new research from the University of Bergen in Norway and provocatively asked, "Why Are Republicans the Only Climate-Science-Denying Party in the World?" One reason, he argues, is that "the virulence of anti-government ideology in the United States has no parallel anywhere in the world." While this is certainly true, it can't explain the fact that a recent survey and other data suggests that the majority of Republican voters accept the science behind global warming.

Here's another possible explanation for the GOP's intransigence in accepting and addressing climate change: the overwhelming influence of its donors, which stifles the preferences of the party's majority."

Sean McElwee and Brian Schaffner report for Mother Jones December 15, 2015.

SEE ALSO:

"Voters Prefer Candidates Who Support Climate-Friendly Policies" (Yale Project on Climate Change Communication)

"U.S. Voters Want President Willing to Act on Climate, Kerry Says" (Bloomberg)

"Many Conservative Republicans Believe Climate Change Is a Real Threat" (New York Times: Sept. 28, 2015)