The US response to coronavirus has been consistently inconsistent. It’s also uniquely American. There are no national guidelines and no organized efforts to reopen the country beyond what measures states have taken. Public health officials say one thing while governors say another and President Donald Trump says something else entirely. […] Read more »
Why GOP can’t reopen the economy without Democratic buy-in
From President Donald Trump through Republican governors and state legislatures, the GOP is coalescing around a position of reopening the economy as quickly as possible despite concerns about seeding a wider spread of the coronavirus. … The daunting equation facing Trump and Republican governors is that no matter how many […] Read more »
73% of Democrats are wearing masks to fight coronavirus. Only 59% of Republicans are.
As several states across the nation relax strict stay-at-home requirements, imposed to slow the spread of covid-19, and begin allowing more businesses to open, the question of whether the government can require people to wear masks has become explosive. … We drew on a nationally representative, multi-wave survey conducted by […] Read more »
Rally (Mostly) ‘Round the (State) Flag
In an existential crisis, citizens frequently unite behind their political leaders. This “rally ‘round the flag” effect is well-documented, especially in the United States, where public support for the president can shoot up dramatically in times of emergency. George W. Bush benefited from a surge in popularity after the September […] Read more »
Where are people less likely to obey coronavirus restrictions? Republican counties.
President Trump is cheering on Republican governors who lift stay-at-home orders, criticizing Democratic governors who’ve been more cautious and supporting right-wing protests against stay-at-home orders. Coronavirus politics, in other words, like climate change politics, is riven by party. According to recent survey research, average Americans may be following their party […] Read more »
Trump Brings in the Infantry for His War on Blue America
Even during the shared national challenge of the coronavirus outbreak, President Donald Trump is escalating his attacks on the institutions of blue America. And a growing number of other Republicans are joining him. Trump has long provoked questions about whether he respects the legitimacy of small-d democratic institutions. But in […] Read more »