COUNTY‐LEVEL DETERMINANTS OF SOCIAL DISTANCING (OR LACK THEREOF) DURING THE COVID‐19 PANDEMIC
Golnaz Baradaran Motie, Christopher Biolsi
Abstract
We study the relationship between a number of socioeconomic, demographic, and political variables and county‐level measures of social mobility in the early stages of the COVID‐19 pandemic in the United States. We find that higher income, more educated populations, older populations, a higher share of Asian residents, a higher share of residents in a formal religious institution, and the early presence of the virus all significantly correlate with reduced mobility. A higher share of the resident population that is Black or Hispanic or a greater vote share for Donald Trump in the 2016 election significantly predict smaller mobility declines. ( JEL R20, R23, R28)
Topics & Concepts
Social distancePandemicSocioeconomic statusDemographic economicsCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)InstitutionPopulationPoliticsSocial mobilityDemographyDevelopment economicsSocioeconomicsEconomic growthEconomicsGeographyPolitical scienceSociologyMedicineSocial scienceInfectious disease (medical specialty)LawDiseasePathologyCOVID-19 epidemiological studiesUrban, Neighborhood, and Segregation StudiesHealth disparities and outcomes