A recent survey from the Climate Change in the American Mind (CCAM) reveals a complex landscape of American concerns, with climate change not leading the pack in public anxiety.
This comprehensive survey, conducted between May 1 and May 12, 2025, explores various public issues impacting American lives, highlighting the interconnectedness of climate change with other pressing societal concerns.
Among the notable findings, government corruption emerged as the primary worry for Americans, with 54% expressing they are very worried about it.
The cost of living (48%) and the economy (47%) also ranked high on the list of concerns.
Conversely, worry over global warming is reported by just 29% of Americans, indicating that climate change may not be as immediate a concern compared to other issues.
This survey categorizes Americans into six groups based on their perceptions of global warming, referred to as Global Warming’s Six Americas.
For the Alarmed population segment, characterized by high concern about climate issues, a striking 92% report being very worried about global warming.
In addition, issues such as federal government service disruption and the health of democratic institutions ranked high on their worry list (82% each).
Interestingly, the Concerned demographic, comprising 27% of respondents, has their worries centered more around economic issues, with 56% worrying about the economy, followed closely by the cost of living at 54% and government corruption at 53%.
The Cautious (19%) and Disengaged (7%) groups exhibit similar concern patterns, with their highest worries revolving around government corruption and economic stability.
It is important to note that concern about global warming remains markedly lower in these groups, with only 1% of the Cautious and 5% of the Disengaged showing high levels of concern.
Among the Doubtful and Dismissive groups, which together account for 22% of Americans, major concerns include illegal immigration and crime, with both groups expressing minimal worry about global warming—0% for both groups.
An analysis of the survey results reveals how concerns vary significantly by political party and ideology.
Liberal Democrats express the highest levels of concern regarding issues such as the state of democracy (81% very worried) and government corruption (77% very worried), while moderate and Conservative Democrats rank disruption of federal services and economic concerns at the top of their worry list.
In contrast, among liberals and moderate Republicans, concerns shift towards the cost of living and the economy, while Conservative Republicans predominantly express worry about illegal immigration (55%).
Many respondents across the political spectrum exhibit low levels of concern about health or being targeted based on identity or beliefs.
Interestingly, within the Liberal Democrat faction, 59% express they are very worried about global warming, compared to just 42% of moderate/conservative Democrats.
The concern about global warming starkly contrasts with the sentiments of Republicans, where only 7% of liberal/moderate Republicans and 5% of conservative Republicans align their worries towards climate issues.
Notably, about 18% of the surveyed individuals identified as part of the “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) movement.
This group shows less anxiety regarding various issues, including economic concerns, than the overall sample.
However, two issues—illegal immigration and crime—rank higher on their list of worries when compared to other respondents.
Across multiple groups, it is clear that Americans are facing a multitude of concerns such as rising living costs, government integrity, immigration policies, the health of democratic institutions, and environmental issues.
These priorities tend to vary widely, which highlights both shared worries and deep divisions within the society.
For climate communicators, these findings provide vital strategic insights.
Despite the political polarization surrounding climate change, there exist significant opportunities to connect climate action with other urgent issues of concern.
The shared focus on government corruption, economic stability, and living costs across most political groups suggests that climate action can be framed in ways that resonate more broadly.
By elucidating how climate action can lead to lower energy costs, stimulate economic opportunities, and enhance governmental accountability regarding environmental policies, advocates can reach a wider audience.
Furthermore, the notable concern regarding the disruption of federal government services among Democrat groups, alongside worries related to the democratic process across several demographics, suggests that promoting climate resilience could be an effective strategy for communicating the critical connections between a stable government and effective climate action.
Consequently, for effective climate communication, acknowledging where Americans currently stand concerning their primary concerns is essential.
Communicators must demonstrate how climate initiatives are interlinked with the pressing issues that the public cares most about.
For additional insights into the intersection of politics and climate change, refer to the latest Climate Change in the American Mind: Politics & Policy report from Spring 2025.
In terms of methodology, this analysis was derived from a two-step research process.
In March 2025, respondents were first queried through an open-ended survey to identify their top concerns about the current state of affairs in the U.S.
Conducted via Prolific, this quasi-representative sample of 634 adults aged 18+ revealed thirteen thematic categories of worries that served as the foundation for a subsequent closed-ended survey.
In the second step conducted in May 2025, these identified categories became the focus of a nationally representative survey conducted by the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication and the George Mason University Center for Climate Change Communication, encompassing 1,040 American adults aged 18 and older.
The resulting data reflects Americans’ anxiety levels regarding these various public concerns, specifically measuring those who expressed being “very worried” about each topic.
As respondents have the option to express significant worry about multiple issues, the results may yield overlapping percentages across different categories.
Weighted samples were utilized to ensure accurate representation, with carefully calculated margins of error for each identified subgroup based on their weighted proportions.
While some issues, like foreign policy, were mentioned sporadically in earlier open-ended responses, they did not garner enough frequency to be included as individual categories in the closed-ended portion of the follow-up survey.
Overall, the findings encapsulate a robust portrayal of the American public’s current anxieties, illustrating varying levels of concern and suggesting potential pathways for effectively communicating about climate change and its interconnected issues.
image source from：climatecommunication
