Explaining variation in citizen perceptions of government crisis management in the Covid-19 pandemic: The role of local administrations

Observing a rise of public approval rates of government performance in the early phase of the Covid-19 pandemic in many countries, several studies established a rally-around-the-flag-effect This paper argues that such studies generally underestimate the relevance of variation in local level administrative performance, in particular their ability to shift from regular operations to crisis management. We report on a mixed-methods study to clarify whether public approval varies in line with the performance of local administrations. Multi-level analysis of novel survey data of public perception in 26 German districts in March 2020 confirms an overall convergence towards political support, but at the same time significant differences between districts. We then develop a typology to select four extreme cases for an in-depth qualitative study of local administrative performance. Analysis of interview data with executives yields that administrations who swiftly adjusted from routine action to crisis management are also those where public approval rates are more positive (and vice versa). The paper ends on practical lessons regarding the enactment of shifts in administrative actions as crucial conditions for crisis preparedness and administrative resilience.