Die Auseinandersetzung mit Covid-19 in den USA – eine parteipolitische Pandemie?

Abstract

From its very beginning, the Covid-19 pandemic was politicized in the United States . Then- President Donald Trump saw it was little more than another attempt by his political oppo- nents and the media to harm his electoral chances . The Democratic camp viewed Trump’s actions as another example of the President’s incompetence and the growing anti-science sentiment within the Republican Party . The fact that supporters of both parties interpreted the pandemic differently can be attributed in particular to the growth in “affective” polariza- tion . The political opponent is now increasingly perceived as an enemy that is wrong on all issues and often seen as a threat to the country’s values and its democracy . Accordingly, masks, social distancing rules, and vaccinations were viewed from a partisan vantage point that hindered efforts to combat the pandemic in a unified manner . In other political areas, the growing antipathy between the two camps for one another can be expected to increas- ingly shape specific policy preferences as well .