Expertise in an Age of Polarization: Evaluating Scientists’ Political Awareness and Communication Behaviors

During the George W. Bush administration, intense debate focused on the administration's interference with the work of government scientists. In this study, analyzing a May/June 2009 survey of members of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), we evaluate the factors during this period that influenced scientists' awareness of political interference and their media outreach and communication activities. Controlling for demographic and professional-level influences, those members who were more liberal in their political outlook, who were frequent blog readers, and who felt strongly about global warming were substantially more likely to have heard a lot about political interference. However, neither ideology, partisanship, nor opinion-intensity were predictive of the various media and communication behaviors assessed. Instead, the strongest predictor was the belief that media coverage was important for an individual's career advancement. Implications for evaluating the expert community's participation in future political debates are discussed.