Thread by @ichiloe

@el_nino_waves @UCSUSA I find this graph striking. It was not what we expected.

@el_nino_waves @UCSUSA Source:
scholars.unh.edu/carsey/252/

@el_nino_waves @UCSUSA Background on this graphic: I'd been writing about climate change, where conservative rejection of science is strong.
Some pundits said "OK conservatives reject science on climate change, but liberals are just as bad on vaccines."
I thought, that is testable.

@el_nino_waves @UCSUSA So we put identically-worded "trust scientists for information about X," where X is climate change or vaccines, on surveys in New Hampshire and Oregon. journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/21…

@el_nino_waves @UCSUSA The 5-way graphic is from later surveys, which tested 1) could earlier climate/vaccine results replicate, and 2) what about nuclear power or GMOs, also topics where some claimed we'd see liberal rejection of science? That does happen, but it's not the rule.

@el_nino_waves @UCSUSA A number of people asked, does distrust reflect belief that scientists tend to be liberal? That's the rationalization but I don't think it's the reason. Data show partisan gradients on both science & non-science topics. Common theme: The Narrative >> reality