Getty Windmill towers in Illinois
A new poll shows that a majority of Americans support the idea of a “green New Deal” that would strengthen the economy by creating new jobs in renewable energy. The poll, carried out by researchers at Yale and at George Mason University, showed that a whopping 92 percent of Democrats support plans for a Green New Deal. 88 percent of Independents support the idea. Among Republicans, 66 percent, or two out of three people, say they also support the idea of a Green New Deal.
Even among people who describe themselves as “conservative Republicans,” there is strong support for the Green New Deal. 57 percent of conservatives said they backed the plan. Not surprisingly, support for the deal was highest among self-described “liberal democrats.” 93 percent of that group said that they backed the Green New Deal, with 69 percent saying they “strongly support” the deal.
Pollsters Didn’t Mention the Fact That the Green New Deal Is Backed by Ocasio Cortez
Alexandria Ocasio Cortez
The social democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is one of the most high-profile backers of the Green New Deal. That’s why pollsters say they decided not to mention her name when they asked voters how they felt about the deal. Research has shown that people tend to dislike ideas from the opposing political party. And in the same way, people tend to feel positively about policies suggested by their own political party. In order to get as unbiased a response as possible, pollsters didn’t talk about Ocasio Cortez or John Lewis, another backer of the New Deal, when they asked participants for their views.
Instead, pollsters just showed participants a brief description of the Green New Deal, as follows:
“Some members of Congress are proposing a “Green New Deal” for the U.S. They say that a Green New Deal will produce jobs and strengthen America’s economy by accelerating the transition from fossil fuels to clean, renewable energy. The Deal would generate 100% of the nation’s electricity from clean, renewable sources within the next 10 years; upgrade the nation’s energy grid, buildings, and transportation infrastructure; increase energy efficiency; invest in green technology research and development; and provide training for jobs in the new green economy.”