Don’t let the pandemic change into a crisis of self-governance

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought out the best in Americans, with people looking for ways to help each other, such as by delivering groceries to isolated neighbors and making face masks. But it seems also to have heightened the tribalism and mistrust that characterize the political landscape, making matters worse.

Political polarization is the worst it has been since the Civil War, says research from the University of Southern California. That was in 2016. And today, you’ll find social media platforms filled with accusations and discord. Some claim that Republicans are greedy individuals who want to reopen businesses so they can make money, even if employees and customers die as a result. Or, that Democratic governors impose stay-at-home orders because they are tyrants-in-the-making, eager to use the situation as an excuse to micromanage our lives.

These narratives are flatly wrong, of course. Republicans care about people and Democrats care about a thriving economy and good governance. We all want a healthy economy and a healthy population.

The bad-faith models we have of each other are fueled by our media habits. According to a March survey by the Pew Research Center, people who watch Fox News a lot tend to think that the media have exaggerated the threat of COVID-19; viewers of MSNBC think otherwise. People who watch a lot of Fox News are pessimistic about the prospects of a vaccine, while those who favor MSNBC may be more optimistic.

Gallup, meanwhile, has found that Democrats tend to be more worried about the virus than Republicans, a finding consistent with similar research by the Kaiser Family Foundation.

The media aren’t the only factor, however. Liberals and conservatives approach the political and policy world from different moral environments. Jonathan Haidt, a psychology professor, has identified five key moral values that affect political opinion. Conservatives, he says, are concerned with elements of all five values, while liberals emphasize two of the five. So, as they evaluate stay-at-home orders through different collections of values, it’s not surprising that they come to different conclusions. 

Forgetting that point and focusing on ideological and partisan divisions may make for good TV ratings. It’s also a good way to gin up political support for your favorite candidate or express your solidarity with your tribe.

But doing so can be harmful. Too much stress — which can come from the “us versus them” mentality brought by heightened forms of tribalism — has been linked to an increased risk of heart disease and other health problems. And a combative partisanship can make it hard to come up with effective policy responses to serious problems.

Government officials have a tough job during this pandemic. Many scientific uncertainties remain, and it’s unclear how long the public — whose cooperation is essential to stemming the pandemic — will cooperate.

For significant segments of the population, past actions don’t inspire trust in government competence or goodwill. In the 1960s, the federal government declared a war on poverty, and yet poverty is still with us. The 1980s saw another so-called war, this one on illegal drug use. That initiative has left hundreds of thousands of people nationwide in prison on drug charges, and it launched civil asset forfeiture, a practice that has at times subverted justice and brought ruin to innocent victims.

When it comes to health, public officials do have some leeway, and sometimes they’ve used it to good effect. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, for example, temporarily relaxed some rules that regulate the health care professions, which should make it easier for skilled workers and equipment to get to where they need to be.

But her other actions may be counterproductive. She has, for example, told big-box retailers that they can sell food but not furniture. Rules that force businesses to tape off rows of products won’t foster public trust. Little wonder, then, that over 300,000 names have been registered on an online petition calling for a recall election.

A lack of transparency is another pitfall for public officials. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has come under fire for not disclosing the public health models he has used to justify his pandemic-related orders. When extraordinary curtailment of freedoms are involved, transparency is key.

Finally, governors and others must find a way to recognize the importance of a strong economy. State-ordered shutdowns will have a disparate impact on low-income workers, who, by their economic status, are already at a greater risk of having health problems.

In this trying time, we all need to discuss our disagreements in a spirit of goodwill and mutual respect. Public officials, for their part, must remember that their authority comes from, in the words of the Declaration of Independence, “the consent of the governed.” 

John R. LaPlante is a contributing editor and senior fellow at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, a research and educational institute located in Midland, Mich.