Most Americans Think COVID Response Will Get Better Under Biden (... But Many Uncertain)
Recent research shows Blacks and Latinos Expect Improvements from Biden while Whites remain divided
a COVID-19 Data Project feature
Since the beginning of the pandemic, we have closely monitored how Americans viewed the White House’s response to the pandemic. With the Biden Administration taking over the reins, we found that half of Americans (51 percent) think that the response will improve, while a quarter (28 percent) think things would get worse. In a bit of surprise, more men (55 percent) than women (47 percent) said the White House’s response would improve.
Expectations of Biden by Race
When we breakdown American’s anticipation of how the Biden White House will handle COVID by race, almost 7 in 10 of Black and Hispanic Americans believe the federal response will improve. While less than half of white Americans (43 percent) think things will improve, and more than a third (35 percent) think things will become worse. More White Americans said that they anticipated COVID response to either stay the same or get worse.
Expectations of Biden Response by Age
More than half of younger Americans (55 percent) believe that President Biden will improve the government’s response to the COVID crisis, more than either older age group. Only 22 percent of younger Americans think that Biden’s response will become worse, the least of any age group.
Middle-aged Americans (age 45 – 64) were the least optimistic of the age groups, with almost half (47 percent) stating things will stay the same or become worse.
Americans over age 65 were a little more skeptical than young Americans under 45, but more optimistic than middle-aged Americans.
A Rural vs. Urban Divide
Where Americans live, whether it’s an urban, suburban, or rural area, has a significant impact on their view of how a Biden White House will respond to the COVID crisis. Among Americans living in urban areas, nearly 6 in 10 said they anticipated the response to improve, compared to half of suburban Americans (50 percent) and a third (37 percent) of Americans living in rural areas. More rural Americans (40 percent) said they think Biden’s response will make matters worse than better (37 percent).
Political Affiliation Sets the Tone
Probably in the least shocking data set, political affiliation has a strong influence on how Americans think the Biden White House will handle the pandemic.
A data point that caught our attention was that almost 1 in 5 Republicans said they anticipate Biden’s White House will improve the situation. In comparison, only 3 percent of Democrats think things will get worse. However, Americans that identify as independents are split on whether the situation will improve (38 percent) or become worse (35 percent).