Gallup: Americans favor protecting the environment over economic growth
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President Donald Trump walks to the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Thursday, June 1, 2017, after speaking in the Rose Garden about the US role in the Paris climate change accord. (Andrew Harnik/AP Photo)
NewsWorks Tonight host Dave Heller sits down for his weekly conversation with Gallup’s Frank Newport to talk about trends in U.S. opinion.
The American public is becoming ever more concerned about the environment, and that the public fairly strongly now favors protecting the environment over economic growth or developing more energy sources.
Worry about climate change is up. A Yale poll last year showed a significant majority of Americans supported the U.S. continuing as part of the treaty. The environment does not show up as one of the top problems facing the nation, however.
Republicans’ and Democrats’ confidence in the economy changed greatly immediately after Donald Trump’s election and inauguration. However, Republicans’ confidence has changed little since the inauguration in late January, while Democrats’ has continued to worsen. What’s fascinating is the degree to which these attitudes changed on a dime once Trump was elected last November, and then again when he was inaugurated in January.
On another topic, about half of all U.S. adults who pursued or completed a post-secondary degree would change at least one aspect of their education experience if they could do it all over again. What would they be most likely to change? Their major or field of study in college.
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