Democratic criticism of COVID-19 models — but not Republican criticism — erodes public trust in science

Republican criticism of epidemiological models of the spread and impact of COVID-19 do not appear to have much effect on the public’s trust in science and support for science-based policy, according to a new study published in Science Advances. But this is not the case for Democratic criticism.The difference could come down to the public’s expectations: Republicans who criticize COVID-19 models are seen as acting in alignment with their party, while Democrats who do so appear to be less ideologically motivated because they are bucking their party.“The COVID-19 pandemic thrust scientific resear...

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