Pew: Post-COVID, Trust in Science Dropped Significantly
Most other institutions have taken a hit in trust as well. But what would it take for science in particular to pull out?The slogan Trust the Science!, squawked from so many outlets in connection with the COVID-19 outbreak, may have backfired — if Pew Research findings are any guide. Public trust in science has continued to decline, both among Democrats and among Republicans: Overall, 57% of Americans say science has had a mostly positive effect on society. This share is down 8 percentage points since November 2021 and down 16 points since before the start of the coronavirus outbreak. Brian Kennedy and Alec Tyson, “Americans’ Trust in Scientists, Positive Views of Science Continue to Decline,” Pew Research, November 14, 2023 As Kennedy and Tyson point out, declining trust is not a new phenomenon; there has been a slow decline in trust in Read More ›