SHU Poll Finds Strong Support for President Biden and COVID-19 Response
Economic recovery, cyber-security and energy issues on people’s minds
A new national digital poll by Sacred Heart University’s Institute for Public Policy, completed mid-July 2021, asked 1,500 U.S. residents questions about a variety of current topics, including quality of life, the federal government’s COVID-19 response, President Biden’s overall performance and COVID-19 vaccine compliance. Questions also examined remote work options, issues around cyber security, the move toward renewable energy and electric vehicles and censorship policies by social media companies.
The majority of residents surveyed (74.8%,) reported quality of life in their state as either excellent (23.9%) or good (50.9%), but more than one-third (34.3%) indicated their mental health had declined. A contributing factor was utility costs: one-fourth (24.8%) reported increased utility bills had a negative impact on quality of life.
More than half (52.1%) approved of President Joe Biden’s overall performance—88.1% approval among Democrats (7.3% unsure); 20.9% approval among Republicans (6.2% unsure); 34.7% among unaffiliated voters (26.5% unsure); and 46.9% among independent voters (14.7% unsure).
The majority of those surveyed gave Biden high marks for handling communication to the public (56.7%), his overall response and handling of the COVID-19 crisis (55.8%) and addressing a plan for residents and families (52.7%).
Measuring vaccine attitudes, compliance and communication confidence
On the COVID-19 front, 63.6% would either strongly support (40.5%) or support (23.1%) individual rights to choose not to receive a vaccine based on religious beliefs, while 61.5% would strongly support (39.9%) or support (21.6%) the ability for individuals to not receive a vaccine based on civil liberties.
Meanwhile, as of mid-July, three-fifths of surveyed residents, 62.1%, had received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Among those not vaccinated, 19.4% plan on receiving the vaccine while 58.5% do not. Among vaccinated, 55.8% plan on receiving a booster shot when available.
Regarding the integrity of COVID-19 information, respondents trust The Center for Disease Control (CDC) at 53.1%, followed closely by Dr. Anthony Fauci/National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) at 50.8%. Lower levels of trust were indicated for large tech corporations like Facebook, Google and Apple (27.7%).
Economic issues and work changes
While 67.6% of respondents are concerned about pandemic-driven unemployment, 41.5% believe extra unemployment funds benefit U.S. economic recovery, while 43.5% believe these funds hinder recovery. Three-fifths (60.5%) believe a fourth stimulus package would benefit national recovery efforts.
Fewer than one-third, 32.1%, switched to remote work during the pandemic. Among those, 57.8% have returned to their physical work location at least part time while 40.7% have not. Those who haven’t returned at least part time, 80.6%, plan to continue working from home for the foreseeable future.
Energy issues, national security are big concerns
Respondents nationwide expressed concern about inflation due to the pandemic (85%) and about cyber-attacks, cyber-terrorism and other cyber-security issues (84.7%).
On the energy front, 63% indicated awareness of U.S. renewable energy plans and initiatives. Additionally:
- 7% felt the increase in electric vehicles is helpful to the environment, and 58.3% felt current national renewable-energy initiatives will have a positive economic impact (58.3%)
- One-half (51.2%) believe it important to find balance between net- zero carbon goals and the resulting economic impact
Finally, in additional general findings:
- Two-fifths (44.3%) believe the value of cryptocurrencies will increase in the next decade, 36.9% are unsure and 18.7% believe their value will decrease
- Roughly one-half (49.5% and 54%, respectively) believe social media companies have the right to censor content, as well as terminate accounts based on content written/shared by the account holder
Actual polling was conducted on behalf of the SHU Institute for Public Policy, in partnership with GreatBlue Research, which administered the 47-question, national digital survey. Statistically, this sampling represents a margin for error of +/-2.53 percent at a 95 percent confidence level.
Sacred Heart’s Institute for Public Policy, which was established in 2017 in the College of Arts & Sciences, is aligned with the University’s master of public administration program. In addition to hosting state-wide polls, the Institute conducts public policy research, hosts public forums and workshops and serves as a public-policy learning incubator for students.
Photo credit: Gage Skidmore/Wikimedia Commons