Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/266506 
Year of Publication: 
2022
Series/Report no.: 
Discussion Papers No. 22-01
Publisher: 
University of Bern, Department of Economics, Bern
Abstract: 
We investigate how politico-economic factors shaped government responses to the spread of COVID-19. Our simple framework uses epidemiological, economic and politico-economic arguments. Confronting the theory with US state level data we find strong evidence for partisanship even when we control for fundamentals including the electorate's political views. Moreover, we detect an important role for the proximity of elections which we interpret as indicative of career concerns. Finally, we find suggestive evidence for complementarities between voluntary activity reductions and government imposed restrictions.
Subjects: 
COVID-19
lockdown
politics
JEL: 
I18
Creative Commons License: 
cc-by Logo
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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