And they do. The data are pretty clear. And although there seems to have been a decrease in the respect the public has for scientists, this is part of a general trend of decreasing trust in institutions of all kinds. If you want to see a public institution in bad repute, look at the data on how the public views the press. It starts low and gets lower.
Scientists start our fairly high, and remain high, relative to other institutions in our society.
According to the most recent General Social Survey, approximately 40 percent of Americans are very confident in the leadership of the scientific community and the leadership of the medical community. These levels of national esteem have been stable for almost 3 decades and are far higher than the levels reported for the leadership of other major institutions in societyMore than 70 percent of Americans believe that the benefits of scientific research outweigh any present or potential drawbacks associated with scientific research. This level of positive assessment of scientific research has been stable for nearly two decades. College graduates and citizens interested in science and technology policy issues are even more positive about the scientific research. Throughout the last decade, at least 70 percent of Americans have continued to express the view that the benefits of scientific research have exceeded any risks or harms associated with that work.