- Ahead of a pivotal election in the U.S., new polling data on views about wildlife conservation — and even climate change — revealed here offer a stark contrast to the partisan narratives often used to separate Americans.
- While the nation is certainly divided on many issues, there is encouraging common ground when it comes to wildlife: 87% say a 2024 presidential candidate’s commitment to conservation is important, a stat which includes 82% of Republicans — a 14% increase from 2020.
- “These increases are stunning, and we expect to see even more Republicans and Democrats coming together on these issues in the future. It’s all part of a broader trend where more Americans are connecting with nature. Our national parks are seeing record attendance and many zoos and aquariums across the United States are also,” a new op-ed by the President & CEO of the Indianapolis Zoological Society says.
- This article is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the author, not necessarily Mongabay.
America’s Endangered Species Act was weakened in 2019 through a series of sweeping changes. In March, previous protections were put back in place, and now a new poll shows conservatives and liberals across the nation overwhelmingly want the next U.S. President and Congress to do even more to protect endangered animals.
The new data comes from a biennial survey and offers a stark contrast to the partisan narratives often used to separate Americans – for the Indianapolis Zoological Society, we commissioned Atomik Research to conduct an online survey of 1,008 adults throughout the United States with a margin of error of +/- 3% with a confidence level of 95% – which shows that while the nation is certainly divided on many issues, there is encouraging common ground when it comes to wanting the next Administration and the 118th Congress to do more for wild things and wild places.
Consider this: nearly nine in ten (87%) adults in America say that when thinking about the issues they will be voting on in the 2024 U.S. presidential election, a candidate’s commitment to animal and environmental conservation is important in their decision. That’s up from 80% when we asked the same question just before the 2020 U.S. presidential election. And sentiment among Republicans spiked the most (14%) over the last four years, going from 68% saying it was important in 2020 to 82% in 2024.
Strong bipartisan agreement is also prevalent around Americans’ expectations for the 118th U.S. Congress convening in January. More than eight in 10 (83%) Republicans believe the federal government should do more to strengthen the Endangered Species Act and more than nine in 10 (93%) Democrats say the same.
Republicans and Democrats across America are even finding common ground on the topic of climate change. While Democrats poll higher on these issues, nearly two in three (64%) Republicans now say climate change is a threat to species’ survival, compared to 54% of Republicans saying the same in 2020. And nearly seven in 10 (67%) Republicans now say they are more concerned about protecting our planet today than they were five years ago.
This kind of agreement is hard to find in America today and it is encouraging. Americans across parties are increasingly calling for legislative actions to help save species and ecosystems, and the biggest new spikes of support are coming from conservative Republican voters.
The sentiment translates into commerce too. In 2020, only 65% of Republicans in the U.S. said they were more inclined to purchase products or services from a company that supports the protection of endangered animals. In 2024, that figure has spiked to nearly three in four (74%) Republicans who say the same. And a vast majority of Americans across party affiliation believe companies are not doing enough to preserve ecosystems and protect animals.
These increases are stunning, and we expect to see even more Republicans and Democrats coming together on these issues in the future. It’s all part of a broader trend where more Americans are connecting with nature. Our national parks are seeing record attendance and many zoos and aquariums across the United States – including ours in Indianapolis – are also setting records as more Americans flock to connect with wildlife and wild places.
In the run up to the U.S. presidential election on Nov. 5, we will hear many stories about how divided the United States is. But there are also critical areas where Americans agree, and one of those is our overwhelming desire for the next president and congress to do more to protect endangered animals and ecosystems. That is common ground we should all support.
Dr. Robert Shumaker is President & CEO of the Indianapolis Zoological Society, whose signature conservation initiatives include the Indianapolis Prize and The Global Center for Species Survival.
Related audio from Mongabay’s podcast: How a successful cross border (U.S., Mexico & Canada) effort has kept a deadly wildlife disease out of North America, listen here:
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