The US election 2024: A crucial moment for science-the opinion of Nature readers
The US election 2024: A crucial moment for science-the opinion of Nature readers
The US presidential election has split the nation, but the scientists seem to agree. According to a survey in which around 2,000 readers took part, the was carried out by the Magazin Nature , most researchers, both from and within the USA, support the democratic candidate Kamala Harris. In addition, a third of the scientists who vote for them stated that they might change their plans for their place of residence or place of study if the Republican candidate Donald Trump wins on November 5th.
Around nine out of ten respondents-about half of whom is based outside the USA-consider the US election to be important and believe that they could have significant effects on topics such as climate change, public health and science policy (see "an important choice"). Although the survey is not statistically representative for the readers of Nature or the scientific community as a whole, it illustrates the widespread concern about The future of the United States and their global position . In particular, many respondents expressed fear of the increase in extremism and authoritarian rhetoric under the former President Trump.
"Some of me think that you should walk into the fire directly," says Erik Poppleton, a US biophysicist at the Max Planck Institute for Medical Research in Heidelberg, Germany, who took part in the survey. "But at the moment I feel more comfortable to stay in Europe when Trump is chosen what is sad because I want to come back."
Poppleton is not alone. About 77 % of the respondents identified as researchers, and 86 % stated that the choice would have an impact on whether the United States remained an attractive place for a scientific career. "A country that does not believe in facts is not a safe place to build a career in science," wrote a questioned. The answers were made at the beginning of the month on of the website of nature , in social media and in Nature Briefing , an email.
climate change and science
climate change is at the top of the list of reasons that cited respondents why the choice was personally important for them, with 34 % selecting this topic. The emphasis on global warming is probably reflected in the fact that the United States The second largest issuer of greenhouse gases in the world are and are able to do the world over the climate cliffs. While Harris promised to tackle the climate crisis and continue to invest in green energy, Trump explains that he wanted to advance the development of fossil fuels.
The respondents once again cited progress in climate change as the most important reason why the choice is important for science (26 %), followed by concerns about science financing (24 %) and global science policy (23 %).
A minority considered such fears to be exaggerated and argued that science would be progressed independently of politics or that neither of the two main candidates were willing to cope with the great challenges that the United States and the world sew opposite each other. "Objective, impartial science based on facts will always have a place to improve the human condition," wrote a questioned person who wanted the cartoon character Bugs Bunny should be president. "The question is whether people want to hear the facts or not."
worries and priorities
A clear majority of respondents - 86 % - supports Harris, whereby the percentage is roughly the same for both respondents in the USA (944 respondents) and abroad (842 respondents) (see "Support for Harris"). Nevertheless, 6 % of the respondents preferred Trump and 4 % to prefer alternative candidates such as Jill Stein from the US Green Party and the declared socialists Bernie Sanders, who lost democratic nomination to Hillary Clinton in 2016.
The concerns and priorities differed significantly between Harris and Trump supporters. Harris supporters called climate change as well as security issues, social justice and public health than their main concerns. Some also said that trust in science was important. While Trump portrays himself as politically motivated, Kate Radford, a researcher of biochemistry and biophysics at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, write: "Harris and her party show the willingness to update policies based on evidence. This is the heart of science."
The supporters of Trump emphasized economic and security issues rather than their main concerns. Nature contacted such a respondent, Jacob van Rensburg, an economist from a shipping company in Johannesburg, South Africa, who said that he believes that a second Trump administration would end the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East. "The financing of science - especially in the area of climate change - is irrelevant when widespread wars take place," said van Rensburg.
stay or go?
researchers in the United States were more than twice as likely as their international colleagues to consider important changes in their lives if their preferred candidate was to lose (see "upcoming dilemma"), whereby this mood differed depending on the political preference. Harris supporters were more inclined to say that they would consider relocation or change their place of study than those who prefer Trump.
The respondents of the Nature Muzzle included scientists who think about coming to the United States, as well as US scientists and immigration scientists who think about staying in the country. In many cases, the respondents pointed out the risk of a second Trump presidency. Trump has triggered concern about racism and xenophobia due to its anti-immigrant rhetoric and Various policies implemented during its presidency from 2017 to 2020 href = "https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-02976-8" Data-Track = "Click" Data-Label = "https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-02976-8" Data-track-category = "body text"> Foreign students and scientists difficult to study and work in the United States .
A surveyor said he had already gone from the United States during Trump's presidency because he feared that the country could become a failed democracy. He declined because of a job offer, however, he says that he was glad that he had never given up citizenship in his home country. "I'm worried that I might have to try to go again," he wrote.