DFP Coronavirus Response Tracking Poll Week 18

By Brian Schaffner Tufts University

Summary

It is now five months since the United States began shutting down in response to the coronavirus pandemic and according to this week’s tracking poll, concern over the coronavirus remains high. 55 percent of Americans are very concerned about the coronavirus pandemic and nearly two-thirds are somewhat or very worried about personally experiencing coronavirus. Over 40 percent of Americans now report knowing someone who has had coronavirus and around 1-in-10 Americans know somebody who has died from the virus.

Given these experiences, it is not surprising that a large majority (61 percent) of Americans continue to oppose re-opening schools for in-person instruction, with 43 percent strongly opposed. Nearly two-thirds of Americans are against punishing schools that refuse to re-open by cutting their federal funding.

On the economic front, the expanded unemployment benefits that were part of the CARES Act expired at the end of July but Americans continue to provide strong support for extending those benefits. Nearly 70 percent of Americans support an extension of these benefits until the unemployment rate drops to pre-pandemic levels while just 21 percent oppose such an extension. The unemployment benefits extension attracts broad bipartisan support and is highly popular among those who say they are still undecided on who they will vote for in November. Among this group of undecided voters, support out-paces opposition by a two-to-one margin.

While Congress and the President are deadlocked over negotiations on a second wave of stimulus funding, support for the Democrats’ plan, the HEROES Act, remains quite strong More than three-quarters of Americans support the legislation and more than half are strong supporters.

Worry/Concern about coronavirus

The graph below tracks the percentage of Americans who say that they are very worried about personally experiencing coronavirus and those who are very concerned in general about the coronavirus pandemic.

Taking into consideration both your risk of contracting it and the seriousness of the illness, how worried are you personally about experiencing coronavirus (COVID-19)?

How concerned are you about a coronavirus epidemic here in the United States?

Approval on handling of coronavirus pandemic

The graph below shows net approval – the percent who strongly or somewhat approve of how Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Nancy Pelosi, and the CDC are handling the coronavirus pandemic minus the percent who strongly or somewhat disapprove.

Question wording: “For each person or group, say whether you approve or disapprove of the way they are handling the coronavirus pandemic:”

Which level of government do you trust more to handle the Coronavirus pandemic: The [R’s state] state government or the federal government?

Changes in job status

Here we track responses to a question asking respondents how their work has changed since March 1st of this year. Only respondents who are in the work force are included in the chart below.

Since March 1st of this year, has your work changed? Yes, my hours have been reduced. Yes, I lost my job.

Personal experience with coronavirus

Question wording: Do you, personally, know someone who has been diagnosed with the novel coronavirus? (Select all that apply)

Yes, a family member

Yes, a friend

Yes, a co-worker

Re-opening Schools

Question wording: There is a lot of discussion over whether schools should re-open for in-person classes next month. Regardless of current plans in your state, please indicate whether you support or oppose the following:

Re-opening elementary schools, middle schools, and high schools for in-person classes

Cutting federal funding for schools and universities that do not re-open for in-person classes

Social Distancing

Question wording: Which of the following best describes your current behavior?

I am socializing in public places

I am not going to public places, but I am socializing with friends or family in my or their homes

I am not going to public places, but I am socializing with friends or family virtually

I am not going to public places nor am I socializing with family or friends

Government response to Coronavirus

In this section, we show how Americans are evaluating what the government has done to address the Coronavirus pandemic and how much they still want the government to do.

Question wording: Based on what you have heard, do you support the “Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act” or CARES Act?

Question wording: Congress is now considering the HEROES Act, which would spend an additional $3 trillion, including $1 trillion for state and local governments and hospitals, $200 billion in hazard pay for essential workers, and would give households a additional stimulus payments ranging from $1,200 to $6,000. Do you support or oppose this legislation?

Question wording: The expanded unemployment insurance provision that Congress passed as part of coronavirus relief expires on July 31st. Would you support or oppose extending this unemployment insurance expansion until the unemployment rate falls to where it was before the coronavirus pandemic?

Question wording: Which comes closer to your view?

The government needs to spend more to address the coronavirus pandemic, even if it means increasing the national debt and deficit

The government has spent enough to address the coronavirus pandemic and should not do anything else to increase the national debt and deficit

The government has spent too much to address the coronavirus pandemic and should cut spending to reduce the national debt and deficit

Question wording: Would you support or oppose the following provisions in a future legislative package to address the coronavirus pandemic:

General scope of government

Here we track Americans views on the scope of government.

Question 1 wording: Some people think the government should provide fewer services even in areas such as health and education in order to reduce spending. Suppose these people are at one end of a scale. Other people feel it is important for the government to provide many more services even if it means an increase in spending. Suppose these people are at the other end. Where would you place yourself on this scale? 1=Provide fewer services. 7=Provide many more services.

Question 2 wording: Some people feel the government in Washington should see to it that every person has a job and a good standard of living. Suppose these people are at one end of a scale. Others think the government should just let each person get ahead on their own. Suppose these people are at the other end. Where would you place yourself on this scale? 1=Govt should let each person get ahead on own. 7=Govt should see to jobs and standard of living.

Question wording: Do you think that the government response right now should mostly be focused on: Relief in the form of assistance to workers and small business OR Investments in new infrastructure to get Americans back to work.

Question wording: Would some form of socialism be a good thing or a bad thing for the country as a whole? (Remaining respondents selected “no opinion”)

Methodology

The Data for Progress Coronavirus tracking poll is fielded each week using respondents recruited via Lucid. Post-stratification weights are implemented to make each week’s sample nationally representative of American adults by gender, age, region, education, race, and the interaction of education and race. The margin of error for each week’s survey is approximately ± 4 percentage points (this is a conservative estimate and will vary slightly depending on the exact sample size and design effect each week).

Full Toplines and Crosstabs

A document showing toplines by survey wave for each question can be found here.

Crosstabs for each week’s poll can be found at the links below: