Political Mobilization/Activism
nisbetmc | July 29, 2010
In the wake of last week's defeat of cap and trade, the predictable narrative offered by bloggers and commentators has been to blame the failure on industry, skeptics, and Republicans. It's also the explanation likely echoing in the minds of many scientists and environmental advocates.
But it's important to take a step back from the easy emotional reaction and take a look at the complexity of factors that shape societal gridlock on this issue. As I remarked to Andrew Revkin at Dot Earth earlier this month:
If we were able to statistically model societal inaction on climate change, what…
nisbetmc | March 18, 2010
I have an article at Slate magazine today that ties together and elaborates on some of the themes explored at this blog over the past several weeks. Below is the lede to the full article. No doubt, the article will generate a good amount of discussion which I will highlight in follow up posts. I will also highlight specific comments made over at Slate.
Chill Out: Climate scientists are getting a little too angry for their own good.
By Matthew C. Nisbet
As Congress continues to struggle its way toward new energy legislation, climate scientists are getting a little hot. A series of major…
nisbetmc | January 27, 2010Two surveys released this week provide more information on how public opinion may or may not be shifting relative to climate change and energy. I provide some highlights and quick context below on fears over a growing "climate fatigue."
Pew: Global Warming and Energy Wane as Perceived Priorities
Earlier this week, timed to tonight's State of the Union address, Pew released its annual survey of perceived policy priorities for the President and Congress. As has been the case the past few years, global warming ranked last among the more than 20 issues polled with only 28% of Americans rating the…
nisbetmc | July 10, 2009When I was invited by the Pew team earlier this year to make suggestions about items and questions to measure in their recently released survey on science and the public, I suggested that Pew ask a variation of a question that they have used in the past that queries respondents on the types of messages and information relative to politics they might receive in church. Given their expertise in the area, they were probably already well ahead of me in thinking along similar lines.
I was interested in the potential results based in part on a study I co-authored at the journal Political Behavior…
nisbetmc | January 23, 2009A model for government agencies and science organizations to replicate. From a Politico article on Obama's campaign pledge to use technology to enhance transparency, responsiveness, and citizen engagement:
The transition period between Election Day and Obama's swearing-in was just 76 days long, but in that time, it's fair to say that the Obama transition -- and in particular its website, Change.gov -- has made a serious down payment on these promises. Consider all the salient features of this dynamic, responsive and refreshingly open government website:
⢠Its central feature is a blog,…
nisbetmc | September 5, 2008To say that Republicans are anti-science has always been an extreme over-simplification, the type of characterization that carries weight at liberal blogs but doesn't really match up well with political reality. The facts are that science has always enjoyed strong bi-partisan support. Only on a few issues such as stem cell research, climate change, and evolution has bi-partisan consensus broken down, and in these cases Republican positions have been far from uniform.
A leading example of the diversity of views about science among leading Republicans is reported on today in the New York Times…
nisbetmc | February 18, 2008
Over at my friends Chris and Sheril's Intersection blog, I posted a summary of some reservations I have always had about the staging of an actual presidential science debate. Bottom line: research suggests that when it comes to audience effects, a presidential debate is a really bad idea. Despite our best wishes, intentions, and hopes for deliberative democracy, the reality is that a debate would be sending the strongest of invitations to the American public to think about science in partisan terms. Go here for my comments.
If the goal is to turn science into a wedge issue, as the Dems…
nisbetmc | September 21, 2007
Why is this couple smiling? Because Oprah might be the friend they need in order to win ultra tight elections.
More than 8 million people watch Oprah's show and more than 2 million people read her magazine. Previous research shows that these heavy daytime TV viewers do not typically follow coverage of politics very closely and do not vote in presidential primaries. Indeed, the majority don't even vote in the general presidential election.
So what does it mean when Oprah comes out and endorses for president Barak Obama? The answer is that it is hard to say.
In today's political world, the…
nisbetmc | July 19, 2007
Last week, analysts at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty released a 70 page analysis of the strategies, tactics, and messages of the Sunni insurgent propaganda campaign. It's the most interesting thing I've read in some time. Check out the full report, summary below, and listen above to an interview with one of the authors on NPR's On the Media.
The book-length report, "Iraqi Insurgent Media: The War Of Images And Ideas" by RFE/RL regional analysts Daniel Kimmage and Kathleen Ridolfo, provides an in-depth analysis of the media efforts of Sunni insurgents, who are responsible for the…
nisbetmc | June 26, 2007The Barna Group maintains some of the best data tracking the consumer and opinion market for religious Americans, especially among Evangelicals. Though not an independent survey organization like Pew, over the years, I have found that their poll data is relatively consistent with poll findings from other organizations. In fact, often Barna has the most precise measures when it comes to segmenting the born-again Christian community across its diversity of doctrinal beliefs and group affiliations.
So yesterday, when Barna released a survey on American views of poverty and their personal…
nisbetmc | January 26, 2007
The BBC in collaboration with the British think tank Demos has launched a "national series of conversations about new technologies, the future and society." Brits are encouraged to participate in informal small group discussions organized independently, facilitated public events at science centres and other community spaces, or can be selected to participate in a formal "deliberative" panel that brings experts and citizens together to discuss issues of interest. The project features an online discussion pack aimed at informing participants.
The Science Horizons web site also includes a…
nisbetmc | January 25, 2007
From high culture to pop culture, art can serve as a rallying point for social groups and activists who want to publicize their reservations about areas of science and technology. Consider Patricia Piccinini's powerful "We Are Family" exhibit that has shown in Europe and Australia. Her work captures much of the public's "yuck" factor sentiment when it comes to visions of animal/human hybrids and cloning.
Alternatively, consider the current contest in Canada to design the top "nanohazard" symbol. Here's what the Washington Post's Rick Weiss had to report over the weekend:
While many…
nisbetmc | January 14, 2007
In a fall 2007 bond proposal, incoming Gov. Eliot Spitzer and Lt. Gov. David Paterson are hoping to sell voters on spending up to $2 billion over 10 years to promote advances and economic development through research on stem cells and in other life sciences (Gannett News Service).
Back in 2005, a polling study conducted by the Survey Research Institute at Cornell University depicted a NY public, that while still yet to solidify their opinions, appear supportive of spending big state cash on stem cell research.
According to the results, 45% of NYers would be likely to vote for such a bond…
nisbetmc | January 2, 2007
On YouTube over the weekend, John Edwards announced his candidacy for president. Apart from his "Two Americas" theme on economic and racial justice, science issues stand as a secondary part of his platform.
On ABC News This Week, Edwards was asked by host George Stephanopoulos about his positions on global warming, as well as the environment and free trade. The transcript of his answer appears below, and the video of the full interview is available at ABC News.
ON GLOBAL WARMING
STEPHANOPOULOS: What kinds of sacrifices will Americans have to make to make us energy independent to combat…
nisbetmc | December 29, 2006
In the 1976 presidential campaign, Ford used political ads featuring endorsements from Evangelical leaders to counter Jimmy Carter's image of piety and to turn the Baptist governor's famous Playboy interview against him. Today, with all the focus on religion and politics, a political ad of this sort would be unthinkable, yet it ran nationally in 1976.
nisbetmc | November 27, 2006
Readers of FRAMING SCIENCE who work in downtown DC or on Capitol Hill may want to take an extended lunch break tomorrow to check out this American Meteorological Society briefing in the Dirksen Senate Office Building, Rm. 106, featuring one of your favorite bloggers. ;-)
The Divide between Values and Behavior: Exploring American Perceptions of Global Warming and the Environment
Many in society still largely adhere to the notion that 'If we just tell people the facts, they'll reach the right conclusion.' Is this notion supported by research on risk perception, decision-making, and…
nisbetmc | October 26, 2006
It's been a long and very busy week on campus, with several major articles in the works, and midterm grading in full swing. Yet I had to weigh in briefly on the relevance of framing to understanding the controversy this week over the Michael J. Fox stem cell ad. Press play above.
Like many Americans, I grew up avidly following the (mis)adventures of Fox starring as Alex P. Keaton in Family Ties, Marty McFly in Back to the Future, and the title character in TeenWolf. (In fact, as a young teen I modeled myself after APK, though in my post-college political orientations I have evolved.)
Fox…
nisbetmc | October 18, 2006I have been meaning to type up a brief summary of last week's talk at AAAS HQ here in DC. The presentation packed the auditorium with a crowd of about 200. However, AAAS beat me to the punch, posting this news summary at their Web site today. Definitely check it out, it very succinctly captures the major themes discussed.
nisbetmc | October 16, 2006How do you communicate the underlying meaning and values of a political party with a single word or phrase? Republicans have boiled it down to "national security, tax relief, and family values." And now Democratic strategists think they have figured out the catchphrase that strategically conveys the complexity of what they believe.
nisbetmc | June 29, 2006There are two generalizable findings on influencing behavior change. First, citizens are more likely to get involved politically if they see members of their peer group or social group getting involved. In other words, the choice to participate may be as simple as doing something that everyone else is doing. In this case, there is an element of social pressure exerted, but also witnessing like-minded others "getting active" is a heuristic that the issue merits attention and personal resources. When these peers also start making personal requests to participate, it can be a powerful…