The Effects of Socioeconomic Status and State Contexts on Public Attitudes for Energy Transition Spending

• In Event: 50620 - Section on Environmental Sociology Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): Table 12: Environmental Temporalities and Transitions

Abstract

The transition to renewable energy is critical for addressing climate change, yet the available financial resources remain far below the needed amounts. Public support is essential for mobilizing large-scale federal clean energy investments. While prior research identifies political ideology as the primary determinant of climate attitudes, less is known about the role of affluence level and socioeconomic stratification. Competing theories and mixed empirical findings suggest that the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and environmental attitudes is not uniform, making it an undertheorized area of research. While most research on environmental attitudes has been conducted at the cross-country or national levels, localized contexts may shape public attitudes in important ways. This study examines how SES influences support for federal energy transition spending and how this relationship varies across states and their economic, political, and environmental contexts. Using General Social Survey (GSS) from 2010 to 2022, the GSS restricted data on location identifiers, combined with multiscale state-level data, this study employs a multilevel mixed-effects ordinal logistic regression model. By explicitly modeling for the previously unobserved components and state-level heterogeneity, this study aims to clarify the complexities of the SES-environmentalism relationship. Focusing on energy spending - an issue directly tied to material interests and co-benefits, even for those who might not be motivated by climate goals - should also offer insights into overcoming political gridlock.

Author

• Seukyoung Lee, Rutgers University-New Brunswick