To hear the media tell it, Americans are bitterly and broadly divided over COVID-19 and the policies enacted to mitigate its spread and save lives. But while there remain significant differences among political affiliations, the degree of agreement among Americans on COVID-19 policies is noteworthy, new data from the I&I/TIPP Poll show.
Media coverage of COVID-19 this year has often focused on the degree to which the "right" and "conservatives" have refused to heed government-imposed mandates and rules to deal with the fast-spreading virus. Coverage, as numerous studies and reports have shown, has been highly politicized.
To find out if this is true, the December I&I TIPP Poll asked Americans "Generally speaking, in your opinion, how effective have the following been in controlling the spread of coronavirus?"
Respondents rated three types of mandates: Mask mandates, lockdowns, vaccine mandates using a Likert scale — Very effective, Somewhat effective, Not very effective, Not at all effective, and Not sure.
