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Changing perceptions of the COVID-19 pandemic over a year of University of Texas Polling
March 10, 2021 | By: Jim Henson, Joshua Blank

With the release of the February 2021 University of Texas/Texas Tribune poll, the Texas Politics Project makes its fourth assessment of Texans’ attitudes about the coronavirus pandemic. The time series allows reporters, researchers, elected leaders, public health officials, and the public a view of how Texans’ concerns about COVID, behaviors during the pandemic, and evaluations of the official responses have changed throughout nearly a year of polling. 

We’ve presented the results below with little commentary, but bookmark the page as we'll be updating as we create new trend graphics for the many results we've compiled over the last year. To jump to a section of results, click on the link below. For a look at all of the results from the most recent poll, jump to the latest poll page. All of the polling data, including toplines, crosstabs, data files, code books, and full methodology statements, can be found in the data archive. Click on the table of contents below to jump to a section:

Concern
Behavior
Evaluations

About the polls: Each poll samples 1200 self-identified registered voters in the state of Texas. The data is weighted to the known characteristics of registered voters of Texas from the 2018 Current Population survey and 2014 Pew Religious Landscape Survey. The margin of error of the weighted data for the full sample of registered voters is +/- 2.8 percentage points, with higher margins of error for subgroups. For a full explanation of the poll, see any one of the recent methodology statements available in the data archive.

About the graphics: A link below  each graphic leads to a downloadable, shareable, embeddable version of that graphic. Lines can be turned off by clicking on their values in the legends at the bottom of each graphic, which allows for some customization when downloading.

In addition to these items, asked across multiple polls, many other items about the coronavirus pandemic have also been asked in the four polls conducted since April 2020. In addition to all of the polling data available in the data archive, graphical representations of all COVID related results can be found through the polling search.

 

Concern

In each of the surveys, Texas voters were asked to rate their assessment of the seriousness of the coronavirus pandemic, their degree of concern about community spread, and their concern about contracting COVID (or someone they know contracting COVID). Click on the table of contents below to jump to a section:

Seriousness Assessment
     by Party
     by Race
Community Spread Concern
Personal Spread Concern
Containing COVID vs. Helping the Economy

 

Coronavirus Seriousness Assessments

Respondents were asked, "Would you say that the coronavirus/COVID-19 is..." and given the response options "a significant crisis," "a serious problem but not a crisis," "a minor problem," "not a problem at all," and "Don't know/No opinion."


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Coronavirus Seriousness Assessments by Party


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Coronavirus Seriousness Assessments by Race


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Community Spread Concern

Respondents were asked, "How concerned are you about the spread of the coronavirus in your community?"


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Personal Spread Concern

Respondents were asked, "How concerned are you about you or someone you know getting infected with the coronavirus?"


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Containing COVID vs. Helping the Economy

Respondents were asked, "What do you think is more important...Trying to help control the spread of the coronavirus, even if it hurts the economy OR Trying to help the economy, even if it hurts efforts to control the spread of the coronavirus?"


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Behavior

In each of the surveys, respondents were asked to describe their activity levels during the pandemic, what social distancing practices they are engaging in, and to assess the safety of engaging in a range of activities. Click on the table of contents below to jump to a section:

General Behavior
     by Party
     by Race
Social Distancing
Safety of Different Activities

 

General Behavior

In the February 2021 survey, Respondents were asked, "Thinking about how you and your family are dealing with the coronavirus pandemic, which of these best describes you these days?" In April, June, and October 2020 polling, respondents were asked, "As you may know, many Americans have been told to stay home if they can because of the coronavirus pandemic. Which of these best describes you these days?"


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General Behavior by Party


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General Behavior by Race


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Social Distancing

Respondents were asked, "Which of the following measures, if any, are you taking in response to the coronavirus/COVID-19?" The specific activities were described thusly: "Staying away from large groups," and "Wearing a mask when in close contact with people outside your household."


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Safety of Different Activities

Respondents were asked, "Regardless of the current restrictions in your local area, do you think it would be safe or unsafe for you to..." and then provided a list of activities, including: Go to work; Fly on an airplane; Eat at a restaurant; Attend a sporting event or concert at an outdoor stadium; Attend a sporting event or concert in an indoor arena; Go to a movie theater; Attend church; Send your child to school; Go grocery shopping; Go to a bar or club; Go to a gym or health club; Stay in a hotel; Go to a shopping mall; and Get a haircut.

Share of Texas Voters who Say Each of the Following Activities is Safe
(University of Texas/Texas Tribune Polling)
  February 2021 October 2020 June 2020
Go grocery shopping 78% 80% 72%
Get a haircut 66% 66% 59%
Go to work 65% 64% 55%
Stay in a hotel 62% 62% 50%
Eat at a restaurant 55% 56% 49%
Send your child to school 55% 45% 35%
Attend church 48% 50% 41%
Go to a shopping mall 48% 49% 36%
Fly on an airplane 40% 39% 27%
Attend a sporting event or concert at an outdoor stadium 40% 41% 30%
Go to a movie theater 38% 37% 27%
Go to a gym or health club 37% 35% 29%
Go to a bar or club 30% 28% 23%
Attend a sporting event or concert in an indoor arena 29% 29% 21%

 

Share of Texas, Republican Voters who Say Each of the Following Activities is Safe
(University of Texas/Texas Tribune Polling)
Among Republicans February 2021 October 2020 June 2020
Go grocery shopping 88% 93% 84%
Go to work 84% 83% 77%
Get a haircut 83% 84% 81%
Eat at a restaurant 77% 79% 75%
Send your child to school 77% 73% 58%
Stay in a hotel 76% 77% 63%
Attend church 75% 77% 70%
Go to a shopping mall 70% 71% 55%
Attend a sporting event or concert at an outdoor stadium 60% 62% 48%
Go to a movie theater 60% 56% 43%
Go to a gym or health club 59% 56% 48%
Fly on an airplane 55% 57% 43%
Go to a bar or club 51% 46% 38%
Attend a sporting event or concert in an indoor arena 48% 49% 35%

 

Share of Texas, Democratic Voters who Say Each of the Following Activities is Safe
(University of Texas/Texas Tribune Polling)
Among Democrats February 2021 October 2020 June 2020
Go grocery shopping 66% 68% 58%
Get a haircut 49% 47% 34%
Go to work 45% 44% 32%
Stay in a hotel 45% 46% 35%
Send your child to school 31% 14% 9%
Eat at a restaurant 29% 30% 21%
Fly on an airplane 21% 18% 9%
Go to a shopping mall 21% 24% 15%
Attend a sporting event or concert at an outdoor stadium 17% 17% 10%
Attend church 17% 20% 10%
Go to a movie theater 14% 17% 10%
Go to a gym or health club 12% 12% 9%
Attend a sporting event or concert in an indoor arena 7% 8% 5%
Go to a bar or club 7% 8% 6%

 

Share of White, Texas Voters who Say Each of the Following Activities is Safe
(University of Texas/Texas Tribune Polling)
Among White Voters February 2021 October 2020 June 2020
Go grocery shopping 82% 85% 75%
Get a haircut 73% 74% 65%
Go to work 71% 71% 62%
Stay in a hotel 68% 69% 56%
Send your child to school 64% 55% 42%
Eat at a restaurant 62% 64% 54%
Attend church 53% 57% 48%
Go to a shopping mall 53% 55% 40%
Attend a sporting event or concert at an outdoor stadium 45% 49% 34%
Fly on an airplane 44% 45% 30%
Go to a gym or health club 42% 41% 34%
Go to a movie theater 41% 41% 31%
Go to a bar or club 35% 32% 25%
Attend a sporting event or concert in an indoor arena 32% 34% 26%

 

Share of Black, Texas Voters who Say Each of the Following Activities is Safe
(University of Texas/Texas Tribune Polling)
Among Black Voters February 2021 October 2020 June 2020
Go grocery shopping 70% 72% 70%
Go to work 52% 51% 42%
Stay in a hotel 49% 45% 43%
Get a haircut 48% 48% 41%
Send your child to school 39% 27% 23%
Go to a shopping mall 38% 39% 34%
Attend church 35% 33% 27%
Fly on an airplane 33% 33% 23%
Eat at a restaurant 33% 36% 36%
Attend a sporting event or concert at an outdoor stadium 33% 29% 18%
Go to a movie theater 29% 30% 27%
Go to a gym or health club 26% 25% 25%
Go to a bar or club 21% 25% 20%
Attend a sporting event or concert in an indoor arena 19% 21% 14%

 

Share of Hispanic, Texas Voters who Say Each of the Following Activities is Safe
(University of Texas/Texas Tribune Polling)
Among Hispanic Voters February 2021 October 2020 June 2020
Go grocery shopping 73% 74% 61%
Get a haircut 58% 56% 54%
Go to work 57% 53% 47%
Stay in a hotel 52% 52% 40%
Eat at a restaurant 49% 48% 41%
Send your child to school 45% 28% 24%
Attend church 41% 40% 32%
Go to a shopping mall 40% 37% 30%
Fly on an airplane 33% 24% 22%
Go to a movie theater 33% 30% 19%
Attend a sporting event or concert at an outdoor stadium 31% 29% 24%
Go to a gym or health club 28% 23% 20%
Attend a sporting event or concert in an indoor arena 24% 20% 12%
Go to a bar or club 18% 16% 18%

 

Evaluations

Respondents were asked, "Do you approve or disapprove of how each of the following is handling the coronavirus/COVID-19?"


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Keywords: Coronavirus

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