CHIP50 Report #115: American Attitudes Toward Government Interventions in Science

•Americans who disapprove of the administration’s science-related policies outnumber those who approve by more than two to one. On average, 48% disapprove or strongly disapprove of recent government actions in that space, while only 21% approve or strongly approve.•The most negatively viewed actions are the pause in public health information dissemination (51% disapproval) and the firing of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) employees (50% disapproval).•Approval levels for individual actions are low; only the dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) (29%) and the layoffs at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (27%) received more than 25% approval.•Average approval of science-related government actions is highest among Republicans (42%), men (28%), graduate degree holders (30%), and high-income respondents (31%). Disapproval is strongest among Democrats (74%), African Americans (56%), women (53%), and those aged 65 and older (55%).•A majority of Americans support greater government investment in research: 57% favor increased medical research funding and 42% support increased scientific research funding. Relatively few want funding cuts: only 10% for medical research and 16% for science.•Even among Republicans, nearly half (48%) favor more medical research funding, though only 31% support increases in science research funding. A quarter of Republicans support cuts for scientific research and 15% for medical research.•While support for research remains strong, the proportion of Americans reporting high trust in scientists declined from 58% in 2020 to 36% in 2025, with sharper drops among Republicans (from 54% to 26%) than among Democrats (from 67% to 50%).•Despite declines in public confidence, scientists and doctors remain more trusted than most institutions, including Congress, the Supreme Court, and the news media.