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Opinion of African Americans on Climate Change and 2010 Midterm Elections: The Results of a Multi-State Poll

The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies (Joint Center) has long been a leading authority on trends related to the opinions and voting preferences of the nation’s Black electorate.  Two years ago, when the Joint Center launched its Commission to Engage African Americans on Climate Change, we undertook a major poll of African Americans’ opinions on the issue of climate change, in which we found that more than half of Black voters believe it to be a serious problem that the nation must address.  Last year, our second comprehensive survey of African Americans on climate change issues produced further evidence that a strong majority of African American voters want government action on climate change, and revealed additional details about what they are willing to do as individuals to help mitigate the problem.

In this report, we present the findings of surveys we conducted in four key states — Arkansas, Indiana, Missouri, and South Carolina — with a focus on determining how African American views on climate change and other issues might affect the outcomes of the mid-term national elections this November.  While it is always difficult to predict election outcomes, the information from these surveys will no doubt contribute to the body of knowledge that political and policy analysts will use to understand how the climate change issue is viewed by a key electoral constituency, particularly at a time of tremendous economic upheaval in the nation.

Read the report below.

CC 4 State Report WEB REV