Trump’s COVID-19 Response Made Progressive Policies Mainstream

Abstract

In early 2020, the Trump administration’s lack of preparedness and has pushed the Overton Window in favor of progressive policies. Progressive policies such as “Medicare-For-All” and Universal Basic Income had mixed reception prior to the COVID-19 outbreak. However, public opinion has shown that these policies could be used as a popular solution to aid Americans for the rest of the COVID-19 crisis. With a presidential election in 2020, the Trump administration’s lacking response to the COVID-19 pandemic has created an opportunity for Trump’s defeat and for Democrats to enact these popular progressive policies. This paper is an introductory paper that tracks the shifts in public opinion using major current events and polling in America to explore the shift in favor of more progressive policies. This paper also opens a discussion and future research for future policy implications as a result of COVID-19.