July 29, 2020: When asked about what worries them most about the coronavirus threat to our nation, 53% now express concern about the health threat while 40% are more worried about the threat to the U.S. economy.[1]
These numbers reflect a significant change from mid-June when a Ballotpedia national survey found more concern about the economy.
Broadly speaking, optimism about recovering from the pandemic grew steadily from late March until mid-June. Since then, confidence has moved in the opposite direction.
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In late March, just 38% were more worried about the economic threat while 53% expressed greater concern about the health threat.
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By mid-June, however, three straight weeks of polling found more concern about the economic threat than the health threat.
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Now, the numbers have returned to the levels first recorded in late March. Whatever bounce in optimism took place, it is gone.
Most Republicans (59%) are still more concerned about the economic threat. Most Democrats (69%) and independents (54%) are primarily concerned with the health threat.[1]
Other data from the survey shows that just 15% of voters believe the worst of the pandemic is behind us. Sixty-three percent (63%) believe the worst is still to come.[1] That also reflects growing pessimism since mid-June. The highest level of optimism measured found that 29% of voters believed that the worst was behind us while 42% thought the worst was still to come.
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