Stay-at-Home Orders, Social Distancing and Trust

Arbeitspapier

A better understanding of community response to government decisions is crucial for policy makers and health officials during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this study, we document the determinants of implementation and compliance with stay-at-home orders in the U.S., focusing on trust and social capital. Using cell phone data measuring changes in non-essential visitation and average distance traveled, we find that high-trust counties decrease their mobility significantly more than low-trust counties post stay-at-home order, with larger effects for more stringent orders. We also provide evidence that the estimated effect on post-order compliance is especially large for confidence in the press and governmental institutions, and relatively smaller for confidence in medicine and in science.

Object Details

• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: GLO Discussion Paper ; No. 553 [pre.]

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft ; Crisis Management ; Health Behavior ; Health: Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health
• Subject: COVID-19 ; stay-at-home orders ; social distancing ; trust

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Brodeur, Abel ; Grigoryeva, Idaliya ; Kattan, Lamis
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): Global Labor Organization (GLO)
• (where): Essen
• (when): 2021

Further information

• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/230613
• Last update: 10.03.2025, 11:41 AM CET