| Table 7-12 |
| Public preferences about various groups' influence on decisions about public issues: 2010 or most recent year |
| (Percent and mean score) |
| |
| |
Preferred degree of influence |
|
|
|
| Public issue/group |
A great
deal |
A fair
amount |
A little |
None
at all |
|
Don't
know |
Mean score |
| |
| Global warming: deciding what to do about global
warming policy |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Environmental scientists |
48 |
37 |
9 |
3 |
|
3 |
3.3 |
| Elected officials |
12 |
35 |
34 |
17 |
|
3 |
2.4 |
| Business leaders |
8 |
22 |
40 |
27 |
|
3 |
2.1 |
| Genetically modified (GM) foods: deciding whether to
restrict the sale of GM foods |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Medical researchers |
41 |
40 |
10 |
3 |
|
5 |
3.3 |
| Elected officials |
7 |
30 |
37 |
21 |
|
5 |
2.2 |
| Business leaders |
3 |
16 |
41 |
35 |
|
5 |
1.9 |
| Stem cell research: deciding about government funding
for stem cell research |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Medical researchers |
41 |
39 |
11 |
5 |
|
4 |
3.2 |
| Elected officials |
9 |
32 |
34 |
21 |
|
4 |
2.3 |
| Religious leaders |
7 |
18 |
36 |
35 |
|
4 |
2.0 |
| Nuclear power: deciding whether to expand the use of
nuclear power |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Nuclear engineers |
38 |
41 |
11 |
4 |
|
6 |
3.2 |
| Elected officials |
10 |
38 |
35 |
11 |
|
6 |
2.5 |
| Business leaders |
5 |
27 |
42 |
21 |
|
5 |
2.2 |
| Federal income taxes: deciding whether to reduce federal
income taxes |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Economists |
18 |
55 |
18 |
4 |
|
6 |
2.9 |
| Elected officials |
23 |
39 |
24 |
9 |
|
5 |
2.8 |
| Business leaders |
11 |
41 |
33 |
10 |
|
5 |
2.6 |
| |
NOTES: Responses to How much influence should each of the following groups have in deciding: what to do about global warming policy; what to do about government funding for stem cell research; whether to reduce federal income taxes; whether to expand the use of nuclear power; whether to restrict sale of genetically modified foods? Responses on global warming, stem cell research, federal income taxes, and nuclear power are for 2010. Responses on genetically modified foods are for 2006. Mean preferred influence score based on 4-point scale, where 4 = a great deal of influence, 3 = a fair amount, 2 = a little influence, and 1 = none at all. Detail may not add to total because of rounding.
SOURCE: University of Chicago, National Opinion Research Center, General Social Survey (2006, 2010). See appendix table 7-28.
Science and Engineering Indicators 2012 |
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