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While most Australians believe government lockdown measures to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic “are about right”, new public opinion research by @andrea_carson, @SimonJackman , @leahruppanner and me finds Americans are deeply divided, and this division runs down partisan lines
a survey of 2,000 Australians and Americans commissioned by the @ussc @Sydney_Uni , @latrobe and @unimelb found large partisan disagreements are both symptom and cause of America’s struggles to respond to the pandemic
American respondents were split not only in their support for lockdowns, but also on concerns about contracting COVID-19, and trust in medical experts, with trust in expertise apparently another casualty of partisan disagreement in the US
Australians report lower levels of concern about contracting the virus, higher levels of support for lockdowns and trust in medical experts, and almost a complete absence of the partisanship cleaving American public opinion.
These deep partisan divisions are arguably both a symptom and cause of America’s struggle to contain the pandemic, while Australian public opinion and Australia’s relative success is almost a mirror image of the lack of consensus around COVID-19 in the US
Bipartisanship, reliance on scientific expertise, effective policies and public support for those policies form a virtuous circle. The public is more willing to support tough policies when leaders from opposite sides of politics are seen to be united and relying on experts
more details can be found on the @USSC website https://www.ussc.edu.au/analysis/fear-loathing-and-covid-19-america-and-australia-compared?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=NEW%20RESEARCH%20%20COVID-19%20fuelling%20partisan%20politics%20in%20the%20US%20but%20not%20Australia%20copy&utm_content=NEW%20RESEARCH%20%20COVID-19%20fuelling%20partisan%20politics%20in%20the%20US%20but%20not%20Australia%20copy+Preview+CID_997cc4c5140a54ea8cab8e8486c4be65&utm_source=USSC%20Campaign%20Monitor&utm_term=new%20research">https://www.ussc.edu.au/analysis/...
