Public opinion snapshot: Public backs key elements of global warming bill

Ruy Teixeira, Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress, is a leading expert on public opinion analysis. This post was first published here.

The American Clean Energy and Security Act has a long way to go until it clears Congress and lands on President Barack Obama’s desk. And there’s no question that the climate change legislation under consideration is complicated and that the public’s understanding of the bill’s details is limited. But it’s worth noting that the public is supportive of the broad goal and approach of this legislation.

For example, 75 percent of respondents in a mid-June ABC News/Washington Post poll said the federal government should “regulate the release of greenhouse gases from sources like power plants, cars, and factories in an effort to reduce global warming.” Just 21 percent disagreed. Moreover, when those who agreed that the federal government should regulate greenhouse gases were asked if they would still support this if it raised the price of the things they buy, 80 percent of that group still said yes. …

Public opinion snapshot: Public backs key elements of global warming bill

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