FreedomWorks Conducts Fifth Survey Measuring the Effects of Coronavirus on Activists

This past week, FreedomWorks continued to measure the effects of COVID-19 on our audience. As we conduct more surveys, our organization has seen the devastation caused by the virus amongst our activists, as well as the increasing desire they have to reopen America.

This week, when asked when they believe quarantine restrictions should be lifted in their state, 86% of respondents stated within two weeks. Two-thirds of these individuals say they want stay-at-home orders lifted immediately. When asked whether they believe America should begin to safely and responsibly reopen at this time, 87% of respondents reported “yes.”

As can be expected in any economic downturn, those who are most-affected desire change. With nearly 20% of labor force members in our activist pool reporting, they were laid-off due to the pandemic, we isolated their responses to these survey questions. 80% of unemployed individuals reported they want quarantine measures to be lifted in their state.

In addition, 88% of respondents whose hours have been reduced at work say they want quarantine measures lifted within two weeks. 90% of self-employed activists stated the same.

When asked which policy measures they would support to set the country back on track, 80% of respondents stated they supported overall fiscal responsibility on behalf of the federal government. 62% of respondents support tax relief and 61% support federal spending cuts.

Surveyed individuals were asked to report who they trust most to decide when America should reopen. 61% of individuals stated they trust President Trump—twice as many as those who said states should decide individually.

To further gauge the level of approval or animosity FreedomWorks supporters have for their state governments, we asked our audience to rate their state governments’ actions on the COVID-19 pandemic on a scale of 1 to 10 (1 being dissatisfied, and 10 being extremely satisfied).

One-third of respondents rate their state governments below a “3.” Over half of this group reported a “1” rating. 94% of individuals who rated their state governments as a “1” want quarantine restrictions lifted now.

Respondents who reported their desire to see quarantine measures lifted immediately showed an average rating of 4.8 of 10 for their state governments, while those who believe quarantine measures should be lifted at some point after 2 weeks reported an average rating of 6.6.

With each passing week, Americans are becoming increasingly concerned about the effects of the pandemic on more than just the health of their fellow countrymen. And as each week passes, more Americans feel these effects begin to strangle their own realities. It is clear the COVID-19 pandemic is claiming more than just individuals who catch the virus: it is consuming the way of life of millions. FreedomWorks will continue to engage with our audience to hear and share their concerns and struggles.

Note: This survey was conducted with a random sample of the FreedomWorks general email list on April 17. These individuals are actively engaged in their community, as well as in conservative political movements. This survey was done at the 95% confidence level with a confidence interval of 1.8%.