The world is watching Paris as world leaders and other interested parties (including a delegation from California) gather in France’s capital to negotiate collective (but voluntary) actions to address global climate change.
To policy leaders and advocates who are particularly concerned about climate change, the general lack of action both in the United States and elsewhere has been very frustrating. And it is easy to see why. In poll after poll, majorities say they are concerned about global climate change. Yet, policymakers just collectively shrug.
This is one of those examples of what I like to call the “polling issue trap.” While asking respondents about a singular issue (for example, “in your view, is global climate change a very serious problem, somewhat serious, not too serious, or not a problem?”) does reveal issue concern, it doesn’t reflect voting saliency, i.e. whether this a motivating issue when it comes to determining how one will vote.<br/>
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