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The politicized pandemic: Ideological polarization and the behavioral response to COVID-19

Author

Listed:
  • Gianluca Grimalda

    (Kiel Institute for the World Economy; Centre for Global Cooperation Research, University of Duisburg-Essen; Jaume I University)

  • Fabrice Murtin

    (Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD))

  • David Pipke

    (Kiel Institute for the World Economy)

  • Louis Putterman

    (Brown University)

  • Matthias Sutter

    (Max Planck Institute for Research on Collective Goods, University of Cologne, University of Innsbruck, IZA, and CESifo)

Abstract
We investigate the relationship between political attitudes and prosociality in a survey of a representative sample of the U.S. population during the first summer of the COVID-19 pandemic. We find that an experimental measure of prosociality correlates positively with adherence to protective behaviors. Liberal political ideology predicts higher levels of protective behavior than conservative ideology, independently of the differences in prosociality across the two groups. Differences between liberals and conservatives are up to 4.4 times smaller in their behavior than in judging the government’s crisis management. This result suggests that U.S. Americans are more polarized on ideological than behavioral grounds.

Suggested Citation

  • Gianluca Grimalda & Fabrice Murtin & David Pipke & Louis Putterman & Matthias Sutter, 2022. "The politicized pandemic: Ideological polarization and the behavioral response to COVID-19," Discussion Paper Series of the Max Planck Institute for Research on Collective Goods 2022_1, Max Planck Institute for Research on Collective Goods.
    • Handle: RePEc:mpg:wpaper:2022_1
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    2. Patrick Mellacher & Gernot Lechner, 2024. "Objectifying the Measurement of Voter Ideology with Expert Data," Graz Economics Papers 2024-03, University of Graz, Department of Economics.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Polarization; Ideology; Trust in politicians; COVID-19; Prosociality; Health behavior; Worries;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D01 - Microeconomics - - General - - - Microeconomic Behavior: Underlying Principles
    • D72 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Political Processes: Rent-seeking, Lobbying, Elections, Legislatures, and Voting Behavior
    • D91 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making
    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior
    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health
    • H11 - Public Economics - - Structure and Scope of Government - - - Structure and Scope of Government
    • H12 - Public Economics - - Structure and Scope of Government - - - Crisis Management

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