Important data here from @jhaushofer & collaborators, comparing actual attitudes with (mis-)perceptions about attitudes:

Should we stop social gatherings?
97% say yes
but they think only 67% believe this.

Should we close stores?
77% say yes
but think only 63% believe this.

They document a clear pattern in which a robust supermajority of the public want strict shutdown measures, but when you ask them what they think others believe, they mis-perceive that others are less likely to share these beliefs.

Full paper is here: https://psyarxiv.com/3kfmh ">https://psyarxiv.com/3kfmh&quo...

Here& #39;s why this might really matter:

Politicians respond to their perceptions of public opinion. If pols mis-perceive that their voters are less pro-shutdown than they actually are, then their imaginations are inventing a constituency to relax the shutdowns.

It& #39;s possible that the anti-shutdown movement isn& #39;t being driven by what voters want, but by misperceptions of what they want.

Read the paper: It& #39;s stunning just how united the global public is in the fights against coronavirus.

Some complementary evidence: Trump& #39;s approval has tanked in synch with his musing about re-opening the economy.

He thinks he& #39;s reflecting popular sentiment.

This paper suggests that may be a mistake. In reality, people are on board with an aggressive shutdown to beat the virus.