We used data from a 2014 survey (n = 1,287) of U.S. residents and recent polls to assess how public support for the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA) changed over time, and whether protecting controversial species affects support for the law. We assessed support for the ESA, trust in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), and attitudes toward wolves across three regions with different experiences in conserving gray wolves through the ESA. We found: (a) ∼4 in 5 Americans support the ESA, whereas ∼1 in 10 oppose; (b) support for the ESA remained stable over the past two decades; (c) strong majorities (>68%) of individuals identifying with 8 special interest types support the ESA; and (d) no differences in support for the ESA, attitudes toward wolves, or trust in the FWS across regions. Results suggest that protecting species—even controversial predators—does not weaken support for protective legislation.

中文翻译：

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在时空上支持《美国濒危物种法》：有争议的物种不会削弱公众对保护性立法的支持

我们使用了2014年的调查数据（n （= 1,287）位美国居民和最近进行的民意测验，以评估公众对《美国濒危物种法》（ESA）的支持如何随时间变化，以及保护有争议物种是否会影响对法律的支持。我们评估了对ESA的支持，对美国鱼类和野生动物服务局（FWS）的信任以及对三个地区在通过ESA保护灰狼方面有不同经验的狼的态度。我们发现：（a）约有五分之四的美国人支持欧空局，而十分之一的人反对。（b）在过去的二十年中，对欧空局的支持保持稳定；（c）识别出8种特殊兴趣类型的个人中，绝大多数人支持ESA；（d）跨地区对ESA的支持，对狼的态度或对FWS的信任没有差异。