Monthly Messenger: Bipartisan Support for Ideas Behind the Green New Deal

While the Green New Deal Has Become Partisan, the Ideas Behind It Have Not

Lately, there’s been a lot of talk about the Green New Deal, an ambitious plan to mitigate climate change, protect public health and the environment, create jobs and establish a clean energy economy. While there have been a lot of debates over the resolution, a recent poll found overwhelming support for the goals laid out in the plan.

Study and Results

A national survey of registered voters found 81 percent supported the plan. This included a majority of Democrats, Independents, and Republicans. Despite this large support, most voters, 82 percent, had never heard of the Green New Deal before the survey. Support was based on the goals of the plan without knowledge of sponsors or party affiliation. Previous research has shown that people are more likely to negatively view a policy when backed by someone from the opposite party.

What It Means:

This poll shows that a majority of Americans support the idea of transitioning towards 100% renewable energy and providing job training for a strong clean energy economy.

While the Green New Deal is new, states have been working on these ideas for years. That’s why NEC has started a five-part blog series highlighting states’ action. 

Resources:

• Read more about this study through the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication and view the full survey report.
• Check out NEC’s five-part blog series on how states have been acting on the Green New Deal for years.