How partisanship and public health concerns affect individuals’ social mobility during COVID-19

Rampant partisanship in the United States may be the largest obstacle to
the reduced social mobility most experts see as critical to limiting the
spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. Analyzing a total of just over 1.1
million responses collected daily between April 4th and September 10th
reveals not only that partisanship is more important than public health
concerns for explaining individuals’ willingness to stay-at-home and
reduce social mobility, but also that the effect of partisanship has grown
over time – especially among Republicans. All else equal, the
relative importance of partisanship for the increasing (un)willingness of
Republicans to stay-at-home highlights the challenge that politics poses
for public health.