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Texans' views of Governor Greg Abbott and his handling of COVID-19 as Texas contemplates "opening up"
April 26, 2020 | By: Jim Henson, Joshua Blank

The latest University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll focused on attitudes toward the COVID-19 pandemic and the responses to it, and lands amidst widespread speculation about Governor Greg Abbott’s promised updates on modifications to the statewide stay-at-home orders he issued less than a month ago on April 2. That speculation is intense among Texans subject to it, but is also being anticipated at the national level given Texas’ role as a conservative policy bellwether as well as the criticism of other state’s seemingly premature loosening of their own stay at home measures (see Georgia). 

With Abbott in the spotlight in the state and the nation Monday, we’ve gathered several results focused on attitudes toward the governor and the policies implemented in Texas by both Abbott and localities  — and presumably subject to change. We recently wrote about the intersection between Abbott’s management of politics and governance in enacting his stay-at-home orders with historical UT/TT polling data. The most recent results illuminate the public opinion context of Abbott’s early decision-making, and the personal and political experiences likely to shape responses to the pace of the relaxing of those policies he is expected to roll out this week. We’ll return to a more detailed incorporation of how these results connect to Abbott’s announcement after we know more about the path he proposes for the state. For now, the results below demonstrate the public opinion landscape Abbott is navigating as we all wait to see what path the Governor will chart forTexas in the next, still dangerous phase of the coronavirus pandemic.

Overall job approval trend (link)

Overall job approval (link)

Coronavirus job approval (link)

Economy job approval (link)

Trust in Governor Abbott to give accurate information about the Coronavirus (link)

Bigger threat to the country: Ending stay-at-home too soon, or staying at home too long (link)

When will Coronavirus be contained? (link)

Attitudes on Texas COVID-19/Coronavirus policies 

Requiring Texans to stay at home except for essential activities (link)

Closing public schools (link)

Requiring travelers from other cities and/or states with outbreaks to self-quarantine if they come to Texas (link)

Restricting in-person religious services of more than 10 people (link)

Suspending the operation of businesses determined to be 'non-essential' (link)

Closing state parks (link)

Establishing emergency hospital facilities (link)

Postponing May 2020 elections (link)

Prohibiting health care providers from providing abortion services (link)

Prohibiting the size of gatherings to 10 people or less (link)

Releasing some non-violent offenders awaiting trial in county jails (link)

 

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