Poll: Republicans Say Prioritize Economy Over Climate Change

More than 2 out of 3 Republicans said that the economy should take priority over addressing climate change, according to a new NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist national poll. 

The poll asked respondents whether they most agree with the statement "Addressing climate change should be given priority even at the risk of slowing economic growth," or "Economic growth should be given priority, even at the risk of ignoring climate change."

Fully 4 in 5 Democrats and about 1-in-5 Republicans agreed with the statement that addressing climate change should be made a priority over the economy:

• 53% of adults said climate change should take priority.
• 44% of adults said the economy.
• 3% of adults are unsure.
• 80% of Democrats said climate change.
• 18% of Democrats said the economy.
• 2% of Democrats are unsure.
• 23% of Republicans said climate change.
• 72% of Republicans said the economy.
• 5% of Republicans are unsure.
• 54% of independents said climate change.
• 44% of independents said the economy.
• 2% of independents are unsure.

When the same question was asked in 2018, 58% of adults said climate change should take priority, with 34% saying the economy.

"Despite a near-daily stream of extreme weather news stories, Americans increasingly are treating climate change as a partisan issue," Lee M. Miringoff, director of the Marist College Institute for Public Opinion, said in a statement. "Nonetheless, majorities are concerned, especially about how climate change is hitting their own communities."

The NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist national poll surveyed 1,285 adults across the U.S. from July 24-27, 2023, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.6 percentage points.

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