How Partisanship Affected Public Reaction to Potential Treatments for COVID-19
- PMID: 32904993
- PMCID: PMC7461461
- DOI: 10.1002/wmh3.367
How Partisanship Affected Public Reaction to Potential Treatments for COVID-19
Abstract
President Trump mentioned the potential antiviral benefits of hydroxychloroquine as the COVID-19 crisis became evident in the United States. Politics and mass media in the United States have been undergoing a process of partisan polarization over the last 20-30 years. While partisanship has long affected reactions toward news or information, particularly when it comes from an elected official, the situation appears to be worsening in American politics. Even a search for potential cures or useful medication in the face of a public health crisis is hampered by partisanship and polarization.
Keywords: COVID‐19; political polarization; public health.
© 2020 Policy Studies Organization.
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