Who supports prevention and a strong state? Public opinion and policy during times of crisis

In times of crisis, national governments enjoy considerable freedom to decide on emergency laws dealing with the crisis. During the COVID-19 pandemic, decisionmakers in countries around the world passed measures to mitigate the economic and public health impacts of the crisis, which entailed considerable restrictions of individual and economic freedom. With parliamentary scrutiny suspended under lockdown, it is important to know which groups support such measures. In this paper, we present results from a survey experiment in Switzerland, a country with an average rate of infections and policy response levels. We show that individuals prefer the central governments rather than regions taking the lead in managing anti-crisis policies, but favour voluntary instead of mandatory tracking measures. Furthermore, there is considerable public support for precautionary measures against future crises. The support for these policies is stronger amongst those worrying about the consequences of the crisis and to some extent amongst those situating themselves left of the political centre. Cultural differences matter as well: French-speaking individuals support stricter regulations of the economy compared to German-speakers. Our paper contributes to the literature, in pointing out that there is support for a stronger state during times of crisis but not for measures invading into individuals’ privacy.