Roughly half say a corrupt scientific establishment puts profit and politics over rigor
Core finding
Nearly half of Americans (49%) agree that there is a corrupt scientific establishment putting profits and political objectives ahead of rigorous research, according to an April 2025 Verasight survey. That figure includes 19% who strongly agree.
Roughly one-in-five (19%) disagree, including 6% who strongly disagree, while 32% neither agree nor disagree.
Topline scale
Roughly half say a corrupt scientific establishment puts profit and politics over rigor.
Please tell us the extent to which you agree or disagree with the following statement: “There is a corrupt scientific establishment that puts profits and political objectives ahead of conducting rigorous scientific research.”
n = 1,000 · Apr 9–15, 2025 · MoE ±3.5%
Methodology
Full methodology →| Mode | Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting |
|---|---|
| Population | US adults age 18+ |
| Field dates | Apr 9–15, 2025 |
| Base (unweighted) | 1,000 |
| Margin of error | ±3.5% |
| Module | policy |
| Sponsor | Verasight |
| Weight variable | weight |
| Weighting targets | age, race/ethnicity, sex, income, education, region, metropolitan status |
Sources
- verasight-mpsa-2025.tiiny.co
Please tell us the extent to which you agree or disagree with the following statement: “There is a corrupt scientific establishment that puts profits and political objectives ahead of conducting rigorous scientific research.”
Cite this question
Verasight MPSA Omnibus Survey #2025-026, fielded April 9-15, 2025, N=1,000 US adults age 18+, +/- 3.5%.