Support for bigger government: The principle-implementation gap and COVID-19

Area of Science:

• Social Sciences
• Economics
• Political Science

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic presented an unprecedented global event.
• Understanding public response to government and market institutions is crucial during crises.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on public attitudes toward government and markets.
• To investigate shifts in support for government size and redistribution.

Main Methods:

• Utilized within-subject comparisons of survey data collected before and after the pandemic's onset.
• Analyzed changes in participant opinions on government and market performance.

Main Results:

• Found a significant decrease in favorable opinions towards both government and markets post-pandemic.
• Observed a significant increase in support for a larger government and a marginal increase for general redistribution.
• No significant increase in support for specific redistributive policies or expanded government functions was detected.

Conclusions:

• The pandemic fostered a general desire for a larger government and redistribution, but not for specific policies.
• Results highlight a persistent "principle-implementation gap" in American attitudes towards redistribution.