5 Years Later: How COVID Impacted Politics in the United States

On March 15th, 2020, the United States began implementing shutdown orders to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The pandemic marked a polarizing time for U.S. citizens, increasing the political divide between the right and the left. In a time that had the potential to bring the nation together, let’s look at why the opposite occurred. 

In the U.S., the two-party system manifests in the form of the Republican Party and Democratic Party, the two of which dominate political fields in all three levels of government. While other parties exist, such as the Green Party or the Libertarian Party, the Republican and Democratic parties hold almost the entirety of political power, positions, and influence. The divide between these two groups has become more extreme in the past several decades. The Pew Research Center’s work finds that “increasingly stark disagreement between Democrats and Republicans on the economy, racial justice, climate change, law enforcement, international engagement and a long list of other issues…A month before the [2020] election, roughly eight-in-ten registered voters in both camps said their differences with the other side were about core American values, and roughly nine-in-ten…worried that a victory by the other would lead to ‘lasting harm’ to the United States.”

So, how does COVID fit into this? 

COVID arrived in the U.S. at what the Carnegie Endowment for National Peace described as “an apex of political polarization: the final phase of the impeachment process against President Donald Trump — which capped years of growing partisan acrimony between Democratic and Republican politicians — as well as deepening divisions in the larger society.” This sets the stage for the pandemic and places the U.S. at a precarious but vital crossroads. However the government chose to responds to the pandemic would either increase unity, or further disunite the nation. 

A survey conducted by The Brookings Institution found that the ladder – increasing political divide – was true. The article’s authors write that “ideally, public health policy would be driven by theory and evidence, not the relative power of partisans. State leaders have missed opportunities to adopt mask ordinances, limit gatherings in the most dangerous indoor spaces, and allow businesses to operate safely. Bad COVID policy, distorted by partisanship, has cost lives and jobs.” 

Essentially, politics interfered with what should have been a strictly health-oriented response and instead utilized the pandemic as a tool to further their political agendas. Thomas Carothers, a Carnegie Endowment for International Peace author, affirms this, stating that “President Donald Trump has ‘built his coronavirus narrative around his favored partisan targets,’ from the mainstream media to China and scientific expertise. His divisive leadership has widened a partisan divide among ordinary Americans in terms of how they view the crisis and governmental responses to it.” 

One 2021 study exemplifies this argument by finding that, when compared to conservatives, liberals perceived a higher risk of COVID, were generally more critical of the government’s response to COVID, and placed higher trust in medical experts, such as the World Health Organization, rather than the United States government. Because of this, they were found to take more health-protective behaviors than conservatives. COVID and politics became intrinsically linked which impacted the way that individuals not only felt about COVID, but also how they responded to it. 

In addition to the role of politicians and leaders in widening the political divide, another reason that likely contributed to the increased separation between parties concerns social media echo chambers. Echo chambers are essentially media that is biased, meaning that it only includes one perspective or ideology, typically the one that aligns with the user consuming that media. Social media algorithms perpetuate this cycle, often leading consumers to only see content that fits their preexisting beliefs. The impact of this is boosted social polarization and extreme political views. Because these echo chambers target beliefs we already agree with, it makes us even more solidified in our preexisting views. But because echo chambers promote extremists, viewers not only become more sure of their viewpoint, but can also take more extremist stances as a result, resulting in increased political divide.  

COVID in itself was a politically polarizing event, and hit the United States during a time at which political tension was already incredibly high. The key differences in beliefs between the Democratic and Republican parties lead to conflicting ideologies around the best way to respond to and handle the global crisis. Social media perpetuated these ideologies, and with that, the divide between within the United States. Five years after the global pandemic, the United States is still incredibly polarized. While frustrating and a seemingly overwhelming issue to tackle, there are steps we can take as a society to reduce polarization, within our own personal decisions, conversations and language, and help to promote a more united country.

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