Vaccines, Masks, Finance and More: Public Opinion on Pandemic Policies
The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ASPA as an organization.
By The Center for Public Policy at VCU’s Wilder School
February 3, 2021
As the pandemic continues, policymakers and the public are faced with questions as to how to safely move forward. While vaccines offer the hope of an end, and while masks offer current protection, not all agree that vaccines or masks should be used or enforced. In addition, debates continue regarding a return to in-person schooling, the true impact of the pandemic on policy issues such as employment and housing and the need for additional stimulus packages from the federal government.
In order to gain a better understanding of how the public perceives key issues related to the coronavirus pandemic, the Center for Public Policy at Virginia Commonwealth University’s L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs included COVID-related questions in their latest Wilder School Commonwealth Poll. The most recent poll was conducted from December 11 – 30, 2020, with results released in January 2021. Interviews were conducted via telephone with a representative sample of 827 adults, age 18 or older, living in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Interviews were conducted by landline and cellphone. The margin of error for the complete set of weighted data was 5.39 percentage points.
Questions related to the coronavirus pandemic, as well as participant responses to each question, are discussed further below.
If an FDA-approved vaccine to prevent coronavirus was available right now at no cost, how likely would you be to get vaccinated?
71% of participants said that they were likely to get a COVID-19 vaccine when one becomes available. This represents an increase of 13 percentage points compared to September 2020 (at that time, 58 percent said that they were very or somewhat likely to get a vaccine). The increase in those who said very likely was significant for both whites and minorities, with an increase of 14 percentage points for whites and 8 percentage points for minorities compared to September 2020. Democrats were the most likely, with 88% saying they were likely to get vaccinated. Those with higher levels of education and income were also more likely; 82% of those with a family income of over $100,000 per year and 80% of those with a college degree said they were likely to get the vaccine.
Given the coronavirus pandemic, do you support or oppose having a federal-level mandate requiring masks to be worn indoors? Do you feel that way strongly or somewhat?
A strong majority (64%) supported having a federal-level mask mandate, with 51% strongly supporting such a policy and 13% somewhat supporting the policy. Conversely, 36% said that they opposed the measure. Democrats and minorities were the most likely to be supportive of such a mandate, with 93% and 77% respectively.
Given the coronavirus pandemic, how safe do you think it is to send children and school personnel back to schools in your community for in-person classes this winter?
A majority (54%) reported that they feel it is safe to send children and personnel back to in-person classes in the winter. This represents a 12 percentage point increase from the poll conducted in September 2020, in which 42% felt that it was safe. Men were more likely than women to think it was safe (62% versus 48%) and whites were more likely than minorities (64% versus 37 percent). Republicans were most likely to think it is safe with 78% compared to 57% of independents and 28% of Democrats.
The coronavirus pandemic has affected many areas of life. In which one of the following areas does the impact cause you the greatest level of concern? Healthcare, education, employment or housing?
Virginians said that they were most concerned with employment and healthcare being impacted by the pandemic, with 34% and 33% noting those as the greatest concern. One-quarter said education was the greatest concern, while only five percent said that housing was their greatest concern.
Have you or your family received financial assistance from the state that is related to the coronavirus pandemic, such as the Paycheck Protection Program or unemployment benefit?
19% of Virginians report receiving financial assistance from the state related to the coronavirus pandemic, such as the Paycheck Protection Program or unemployment benefits.
As the pandemic continues, difficult policy decisions will continue to arise. As policymakers work to identify solutions, polls such as this can provide them with the information needed to make decisions that are considerate of and responsive to those they serve.
Author: The Wilder School’s Center for Public Policy advances research and training that informs public policy and decisionmaking to improve our communities. Drawing on the wide-ranging expertise of Wilder School faculty, we provide services including leadership development and training, economic and policy impact analysis, survey insights and program evaluation to clients in governments, nonprofits, businesses and the public, across Virginia and beyond. Twitter: @CPPatVCU
(2 votes, average: 3.00 out of 5)
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Vaccines, Masks, Finance and More: Public Opinion on Pandemic Policies
The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ASPA as an organization.
By The Center for Public Policy at VCU’s Wilder School
February 3, 2021
As the pandemic continues, policymakers and the public are faced with questions as to how to safely move forward. While vaccines offer the hope of an end, and while masks offer current protection, not all agree that vaccines or masks should be used or enforced. In addition, debates continue regarding a return to in-person schooling, the true impact of the pandemic on policy issues such as employment and housing and the need for additional stimulus packages from the federal government.
In order to gain a better understanding of how the public perceives key issues related to the coronavirus pandemic, the Center for Public Policy at Virginia Commonwealth University’s L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs included COVID-related questions in their latest Wilder School Commonwealth Poll. The most recent poll was conducted from December 11 – 30, 2020, with results released in January 2021. Interviews were conducted via telephone with a representative sample of 827 adults, age 18 or older, living in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Interviews were conducted by landline and cellphone. The margin of error for the complete set of weighted data was 5.39 percentage points.
Questions related to the coronavirus pandemic, as well as participant responses to each question, are discussed further below.
If an FDA-approved vaccine to prevent coronavirus was available right now at no cost, how likely would you be to get vaccinated?
71% of participants said that they were likely to get a COVID-19 vaccine when one becomes available. This represents an increase of 13 percentage points compared to September 2020 (at that time, 58 percent said that they were very or somewhat likely to get a vaccine). The increase in those who said very likely was significant for both whites and minorities, with an increase of 14 percentage points for whites and 8 percentage points for minorities compared to September 2020. Democrats were the most likely, with 88% saying they were likely to get vaccinated. Those with higher levels of education and income were also more likely; 82% of those with a family income of over $100,000 per year and 80% of those with a college degree said they were likely to get the vaccine.
Given the coronavirus pandemic, do you support or oppose having a federal-level mandate requiring masks to be worn indoors? Do you feel that way strongly or somewhat?
A strong majority (64%) supported having a federal-level mask mandate, with 51% strongly supporting such a policy and 13% somewhat supporting the policy. Conversely, 36% said that they opposed the measure. Democrats and minorities were the most likely to be supportive of such a mandate, with 93% and 77% respectively.
Given the coronavirus pandemic, how safe do you think it is to send children and school personnel back to schools in your community for in-person classes this winter?
A majority (54%) reported that they feel it is safe to send children and personnel back to in-person classes in the winter. This represents a 12 percentage point increase from the poll conducted in September 2020, in which 42% felt that it was safe. Men were more likely than women to think it was safe (62% versus 48%) and whites were more likely than minorities (64% versus 37 percent). Republicans were most likely to think it is safe with 78% compared to 57% of independents and 28% of Democrats.
The coronavirus pandemic has affected many areas of life. In which one of the following areas does the impact cause you the greatest level of concern? Healthcare, education, employment or housing?
Virginians said that they were most concerned with employment and healthcare being impacted by the pandemic, with 34% and 33% noting those as the greatest concern. One-quarter said education was the greatest concern, while only five percent said that housing was their greatest concern.
Have you or your family received financial assistance from the state that is related to the coronavirus pandemic, such as the Paycheck Protection Program or unemployment benefit?
19% of Virginians report receiving financial assistance from the state related to the coronavirus pandemic, such as the Paycheck Protection Program or unemployment benefits.
As the pandemic continues, difficult policy decisions will continue to arise. As policymakers work to identify solutions, polls such as this can provide them with the information needed to make decisions that are considerate of and responsive to those they serve.
Author: The Wilder School’s Center for Public Policy advances research and training that informs public policy and decisionmaking to improve our communities. Drawing on the wide-ranging expertise of Wilder School faculty, we provide services including leadership development and training, economic and policy impact analysis, survey insights and program evaluation to clients in governments, nonprofits, businesses and the public, across Virginia and beyond. Twitter: @CPPatVCU
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