… Americans traditionally voice a lot of skepticism about the government, but political scientists Chanita Intawan and Stephen P. Nicholson find that the public also has an implicit trust in authority figures, which can be activated in times of crisis. … That may seem like an opening for permanently advancing […] Read more »
Pandemic raises the stakes in US’ partisan religious divide
The battle over religious exemptions to coronavirus stay-at-home orders, which flared again over Easter weekend, captures the likelihood of steadily rising tension in coming years between an increasingly secular American society and the most religiously conservative voters, particularly white evangelical Protestants. … Compounding the volatility, these religious distinctions increasingly parallel […] Read more »
Most Americans think President Trump waited too long to act on COVID-19
Most Americans (57%) now believe that President Donald Trump waited too long to act on the COVID-19 pandemic that is devastating the nation, according to the latest Economist/YouGov Poll. That is especially true of Democrats (85% of them say this), and a majority of Independents (56%). Most Republicans (71%) are […] Read more »
In four devastating weeks, Americans’ fears of the coronavirus have exploded
One month later, Americans’ views of the coronavirus have undergone a seismic shift. The pandemic’s impact on their daily lives and their assessments of the perils it poses have exploded, a new USA TODAY/Ipsos Poll finds, amid rising uncertainty about when routine daily activities will seem safe again. The changes […] Read more »
Politics & Policy in the Age of Pandemic
Political prognostication, by Bruce Mehlman of Mehlman Castagnetti Rosen & Thomas. CONT. — pdf Recent polls: Coronavirus pandemic Read more »
React or Prepare? How to Handle a Crisis
The scale of the COVID-19 pandemic is unprecedented but history is often a helpful guide. Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of Health and Human Services for the Obama administration, and Andy Card, Secretary of the Department of Transportation for President George H.W. Bush and White House Chief of Staff for President George […] Read more »