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Published on: November 10, 2023
Political polarization and cooperation during a pandemic
Kirsten Cornelson1, Boriana Miloucheva2
1Department of Economics, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, USA.
Abstract:
In this paper, we examine the relationship between political polarization and individuals' willingness to contribute to the public good by engaging in preventative behaviors against COVID-19. Using a sample of individuals from close-election states, we first show that individuals engage in fewer preventative behaviors when the governor of their state is from the opposite party. We also show that this effect is concentrated among moderate individuals who live in polarized states, and that it is strongest when the state has been relatively forceful in combating COVID-19. We estimate that the opposite-party effect increased COVID-19 cases by around 1%.
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