Welcome to NAVIGATOR – a project designed to better understand the American public’s views on issues of the day and help advocates, elected officials, and other interested parties understand the language, imagery, and messaging needed to make and win key policy arguments.
This release features findings from a national online survey of 1,001 registered voters conducted March 11-15, 2021. Additional interviews were conducted among 101 Hispanic voters, 105 African American voters, 103 independents without a partisan lean, and 67 Asian American and Pacific Islander voters.
Key takeaways
- For the first time since coronavirus was declared a pandemic, a majority say the “worst is over.”
- As more report knowing someone who has been or have personally been vaccinated themselves, there has been a double-digit increase in the share who approve of the rollout.
- A growing share report feeling confident in their personal financial situation, though still two in five are “uneasy.”
A Majority Now Say the “Worst is Over” for the First Time Since Coronavirus Was Declared a Pandemic
Over the past two months, the share saying “the worst is over” in the pandemic has increased by 35 points among Democrats (from 15% to 50%), 23 among independents (22% to 45%), and 24 among Republicans (36% to 60%).
Americans Feel Increasingly “Hopeful” on State of Pandemic
Since March 1st, there has been an 8-point increase in the share of Americans who report feeling “hopeful” about the state of the pandemic (from 44% to 52%).
- At the same time, there has been a 4-point decline each in the share who say they are “sad” (from 28% to 24%) or “hopeless” (17% to 13%).
More Say Country Is “Headed in the Right Direction” Than at Any Point in the Past Year
When asked in late October before the presidential election, 28% said the country was “headed in the right direction”; since then, there has been a 15-point increase in the share who say the same (28% to 43%).
Nearly a Third Have Been Vaccinated and Four in Five Know Someone Who Has
Among Black Americans, the share who know someone who has personally been vaccinated has increased by 26 points since February 1st.
Three in Five Now Approve of the Vaccine Rollout in America
Approval of the vaccine rollout has increased 22 points since February 1st.
- Among Democrats, there has been a 35-point increase in approval since February 1st (from 38% to 73%).
Despite New Optimism, Americans Say It’s Too Early to Let Down Our Guards
A majority of independents (54%) and a plurality of Republicans (44%) say “we shouldn’t put our guards down now.”
Nearly Two in Three Americans Approve of Biden’s Handling of the Pandemic
One in three Republicans (33%) approve of how Biden is handling the coronavirus pandemic.
Biden’s Pandemic-Related Policies Have Positive Impact for Most People
Among Black Americans, 86% say Biden’s policies have had a positive impact (58% say “very positive”).
Growing Share Say Economy Is “Getting Better”
While a plurality still say the economy is “getting worse,” there has been an 11-point increase since just two weeks ago in the share who say the economy is “getting better.”
For the First Time in Past Year, Majority of Americans Report Feeling “Confident” About Financial Situation
Since March 1st, there has been an 11-point increase in the share who feel “confident” about their personal finances.
- Greatest increases in confidence are among Democrats (+13), whites (+14), and independents (+15).
