Memo: The Green New Deal is Popular
By Sean McElwee , Julian Brave NoiseCat, John L Ray and Jason Ganz
We find most voters support the individual policies that comprise the Green New Deal. Clean air and clean water, sustainable agriculture and lead removal are especially popular, and could be used to win over swing voters in geographies where progressives often struggle.
The Green New Deal framework offers important public opinion promise in several ways:
It expresses the urgency of action on climate change.
It allows for a policy approach that addresses racial justice and economic inequality in addition to emissions.
It moves beyond exclusively market-based approaches to global warming.
It is broad enough to address many pollutants.
We find no evidence that a focus on racial justice or economic inequality as part of the Green New Deal will have negative public opinion implications. Instead, a framework of jobs, racial justice and climate has strong support from the American public. In short, the Green New Deal is popular. Combating inequality and climate is a powerful way to mobilize the progressive base while persuading swing voters.
