Working Paper: CEPR ID: DP18241
Authors: Ying Fan; Yesim Orhun; Dana Turjeman
Abstract: Early in the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, scholars and journalists noted partisan differences in behaviors, attitudes, and beliefs. Based on location data from a large sample of smartphones, as well as 13,334 responses to a proprietary survey spanning 10 months from April 1, 2020 to February 15, 2021, we document that the partisan gap has persisted over time and that the lack of convergence occurs even among individuals who were at heightened risk of death. Our results point to the existence and persistence of the interaction of partisanship and information acquisition and highlight the need for mandates and targeted informational campaigns towards those with high health risks.
Keywords: attitudes
JEL Codes: D81; D84; D91; H41; I12; I18
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| Partisanship (D72) | Individual behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic (E71) |
| Democratic vote shares (D79) | Mobility rates (J62) |
| High-risk populations (I14) | Protective behaviors and health beliefs (I12) |
| Information consumption (D10) | Partisan gaps in behaviors and beliefs (D72) |
| Diverse news sources (Y90) | Partisan gaps in attitudes and actions (D72) |