Public attitudes about climate policy are shaped by social identities, norms, and other sociocultural factors. Recent research demonstrates the impact of cues from policy makers and other political elites on support for climate policies, and the processes by which elite cues perpetuate political polarization. Elite cues convey information about social norms that influence people’s attitudes about climate policy. This can lead to people supporting or opposing climate policy beyond effects of ideology and climate concern. Elites also shape emotional tones of political issues, which can promote affective polarization and can motivate intergroup conflict. Despite emerging norms that climate change is an urgent issue requiring immediate action, the influence of political elites may polarize and pose barriers to climate action. As public concern about climate change increases, the public may look away from polarized elites and towards alternative emerging leaders who can reduce polarized public attitudes about climate change.

公众对气候政策的态度受社会认同，规范和其他社会文化因素的影响。最近的研究表明，决策者和其他政治精英的暗示对气候政策支持的影响，以及精英暗示使政治两极化永久化的过程。优秀的线索传达了有关社会规范的信息，这些规范会影响人们对气候政策的态度。这可能导致人们在意识形态和气候问题的影响之外支持或反对气候政策。精英们还塑造了政治问题的情感基调，这可以促进情感上的两极分化，并激发群体间的冲突。尽管出现了新的规范，即气候变化是迫在眉睫的问题，需要立即采取行动，但政治精英的影响可能会两极分化，并为气候行动带来障碍。