From Risk Perception to Action Willingness: Political Identity and Environmental Commitment in the United States

• In Event: Environmental Sociology Section Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): Table 1: Climate Attitudes, Ideology, and Beliefs

Abstract

Environmental risk perception is commonly examined as a factor potentially influencing public engagement with environmental issues. This study examines how perceived environmental risk is associated with individuals’ willingness to make personal sacrifices for environmental protection in US context, and whether this relationship varies by political party affiliation. Using nationally representative data from the 2021 General Social Survey (GSS), the analysis shows that higher environmental risk perception is consistently linked to greater willingness to sacrifice, even after accounting for education, income, and a sense of inefficacy. However, the strength of this association differs across political groups. While Democrats are generally expected to translate heightened environmental concern into stronger personal commitment, the results reveal that Independents and supporters of other political parties exhibit a stronger increase in willingness to sacrifice as perceived risk rises. The results challenge common expectations about partisan differences in environmental commitment, showing that heightened risk perception does not consistently produce stronger willingness to sacrifice among those typically viewed as most environmentally concerned. These findings suggest limits to relying on political identity as a sole predictor of behavioral response. The overall pattern suggests that policies and communication strategies emphasizing concrete and immediate environmental risks may generate broader public support for protective action than those that solely rely on partisan assumptions.

Author

• Nazma Ahmed, West Virginia University