Poll: Democrats Fear Climate Change More Than ISIS, N. Korean Nukes

Brittany M. Hughes | January 13, 2017
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Liberal Americans are more likely to rank “global climate change” as a major world threat than they are to list ISIS, North Korea's nuclear program or the Middle Eastern refugee crisis.

According to a new poll out from the Pew Research Center, 77 percent of Americans identifying as Democratic or who lean Democratic say they believe climate change is a “major threat." This collective opinion echoes that of President Obama's National Security Advisor Susan Rice, who recently declared climate change to be a top threat to U.S. security.

Additionally, a slightly lower 74 percent of Democratic respondents say they believe ISIS poses a major global threat, while 68 percent say the same of North Korea’s escalating nuclear program. Conversely, only 30 percent of Democrats say the Syrian And Iraqi refugee crises poses a major threat to the world.

Issues more likely to be seen as major threats by Democrats over Republicans include climate change, foreign cyber attacks, and Russia’s power and influence.

On the other hand, more Republicans list ISIS as a major global threat than they do any other global issue. Pew reports 66 percent of Republicans say Korea’s nuclear program is a major threat, while 63 percent say the same about the flood of Middle Eastern refugees.

Only 25 percent of Republicans and Republican-leaning Americans say climate change is a major threat, making it the least concerning “threat” for this group.

Responses to Pew’s question regarding global climate change reflect a whopping 52 percent difference between Republicans and Democrats. In fact, according to Pew, no other global issue comes close to reflecting such a stark difference in opinion between conservatives and liberals.



Spread out across all Americans, only 52 percent of Americans list global climate change as a major threat. Pew notes the public as a whole is much more likely to say the same of ISIS (79 percent), cyberattacks (71 percent) and North Korea's nuclear program (64 percent).

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