Study Says is a weekly series that rounds up the most important polling trends or data you need to know, as well as checking in on trends shaping politics or culture.
From vaccine quackery and the Tylenol scare to climate change denial and the destruction of the nation's public health apparatus, the Trump administration may be the most aggressive anti-science organization in modern American history. But the sad truth is that a large portion of America has long rejected science and believed the most absurd things imaginable.
Like witches.
In May, Gallup polled the public's views on eight paranormal phenomena, and while Americans are the most skeptical about the existence of witches, only 60% do not believe in them. Meanwhile, one in four adults believe witches exist, with a further 15% unsure if they exist.
On top of this, approximately half of Americans believe or are unsure about the existence of various far-fetched mental abilities, such as the ability to predict the future, communicate telepathically, and hear and/or speak with the dead. More than 2 in 5 believe in astrology or are unsure about it. Americans are divided on the existence of ghosts: 39% believe in them, 42% do not believe in them and 19% are not sure.
The other two beliefs have a more direct connection to religious faith. Forty-nine percent believe or are unsure about reincarnation. And 48% believe in mental or spiritual healing, while 19% are unsure and only 32% do not believe in it.
Gallup found that 34% of Americans believe in at least three of these paranormal phenomena, and among that 34%, the average person believes in five. But while the data company downplays the findings, using the headline “Paranormal Activity Meets Skepticism in US,” the data actually shows that the public is largely open to believing things that have no scientific basis.
This speaks to a larger problem with Americans turning away from science.
For example, Gallup found that only 62% of Americans believe that humans are the driving force behind climate change, despite the fact that there are irrefutable evidence of this fact. These doubts are largely due to society's growing mistrust of experts. For example, the data shows that only 29% of Americans have “very” trust in climate scientists to provide complete and accurate information about climate change. Pew 2023 study. At the same time, 45% trust these experts only “a little,” “a little,” or do not trust them at all.
The strange thing is that, despite the fact that the Democratic Party platform is based largely on science and despite their overall higher trust in scientistsAccording to Gallup, Democrats are about as likely to believe in the paranormal as Republicans. Other polls find that Republicans are slightly more likely to believe in some paranormal entities, such as ghosts or demons, but when it comes to paranormal abilities, even these polls find parties with similar levels of belief.
However, according to Gallup, independents are slightly more likely than Democrats or Republicans to believe in the paranormal. And that's true for all eight types Gallup asked about, although some results are within the margin of error.
However, if independent people are more likely to believe in the paranormal, this may help explain why they formed the basis of support for Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s independent bid for the presidency in 2024. Kennedy, now health secretary, has long been an ardent supporter of the conspiracy theory. Best known for his anti-vaccine activism, he also supports crazy ideas like chemtrail conspiracywhich falsely claims that aircraft contrails are actually chemicals released by the government to poison us and/or control our minds. RFK Jr.'s anti-science stance may not have deterred many of these voters.
However, the candidate may still go too far. And in 2010, one of them did it.
That same year, Christine O'Donnell, a Tea Party Republican, ran for Joe Biden's Senate seat after he was elected vice president. During the campaign, broadcaster Bill Maher unearthed footage about O'Donnell appearing on his 1990s talk show and declaring that she had “dabbled” in witchcraft.
“I never joined a coven. But… I dabbled in witchcraft,” she said in the footage. “I've talked to people who have done these things. I'm not making these things up. I know what they told me they were doing.”
After this came to light, she released a stunning ad campaign in which she declares, speaking directly to the camera, “I am not a witch.”
About a month later, in an election in which Democrats were losing on the ballot, she lost the race Democrat Chris Coons by more than 16 percentage points
But perhaps she was telling the truth in the 1990s. Perhaps her fascination with witchcraft gave her the ability to predict the future, because the very next year she released a memoir whose title foreshadowed our entire political moment.
“Troublemaker: Let's do whatever it takes to make America great again.”
Any updates?
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There were too many paranormal surveys to fit into the article above, so here are some more interesting findings: Only 83% of Americans say vampires and werewolves do not exist; 7% claim to have personally seen a demon, and another 9% are not sure what they have seen; 4 out of 10 believe they have seen a UFO there were alien spaceships; and 51% believe those selling a home should be required by law to disclose whether they believe the home is haunted.
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Millions it turned out last weekend “No Kings” protests contrary to President Donald Trump's authoritarian agenda and despite the views of the Republican Party email campaign filled with lies48% of Americans approve protestsAccording to YouGov. This number even includes 14% of Republicans. Meanwhile, only 32% disapprove of the protests, with most of the disapproval coming from the right (67% of Republicans disapprove).
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Bad news for people who I don't like extrajudicial executions: A majority of Americans (48%) support the Trump administration carrying out lethal strikes on suspected drug smuggling vessels, according to latest YouGov/Economist poll. Thirty-eight percent oppose strikes.
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If the Democrats somehow beat the odds and winning back his Senate seat next year may come from one traditionally red state: Alaska. A new Alaska Survey Research survey finds: Democrat Mary Peltola leads incumbent Republican Dan Sullivan48% to 46% among likely voters. Peltola, a former congresswoman, has not announced her run, but is being sought courted by national democrats. And hey, if our second-largest state gives Democrats a vote in the Senate, maybe the party will finally realize that the best way to correct the chamber's conservative bias is create even more new states.
Vibration test
To continue our creepy theme, let's talk about horror films, and not about what is shown in the cinema. White House. (Rimshot, plate.) No, we're talking about masked killers, possessed children, psychopathic cannibals – you know, funny stuff.
Americans relatively dislike horror films. only 50% say they “like” them or “love” them— a share lower than for any other film genre, according to YouGov data.
Horror is by far the most polarizing genre, with equal shares (22%) saying they “love” and “hate” horror films. That's about three times more polarized than science fiction, fantasy, and westerns, which rank second most polarizing according to the Daily Kos Movie Genre Polarization Index™️(Like our Food Polarization IndexThe methodology for this can be found in the footnote to the diagram.)
Nevertheless, 67% of Americans say they watch horror, according to other YouGov data.
About two in three Americans have seen the five most-watched films: “The Exorcist,” “Silence of the Lambs,” “Halloween,” “Frankenstein” and “Friday the 13th.” And “The Silence of the Lambs” gets top marks, with 42% of Americans saying they “liked” it and another 43% saying they “liked” it – almost universal acclaim.
The most controversial film in the YouGov poll is The Blair Witch Project, my personal favorite. In second place by a small margin is The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
