Going native? Examining nativity and public opinion of environment, alternative energy, and science policy expenditures in the United States

Abstract

While there is a well-developed literature on public opinion of environmental, alternative energy, and science policy, studies focused on survey respondent place of birth are fairly limited. Our paper explores the role of respondent race, gender, ethnicity, political ideology, party identification, religious belief, socio-political trust, institutional confidence, and nativity in shaping public opinion about U.S. environmental, alternative energy, and science policy governmental expenditures. The study employs General Social Survey data in logistic regression modeling of pooled time series data. Our longitudinal study demonstrates that native born survey respondents tend to be significantly more supportive of funding for the natural environment, alternative energy, and science policy governmental expenditures than are non-native born survey respondents.