State-Level Responses to the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Comprehensive Examination of Policy Adoption in the South vs Non-South States

Authors

Joe Aistrup, Auburn UniversityFollow
Deepika Chandel, Auburn UniversityFollow
John C. Morris, Auburn UniversityFollow

Volume Number

52

Issue Number

2

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic caused a significant number of fatalities worldwide (WHO, 2021). Unfortunately, the response to the pandemic appeared to politicized in the United States. Various factors contribute to the policies adopted by different states to contain the spread of the disease. This study aims to investigate the adoption of COVID-19 policies in South versus non-South states, explicitly examining state interventions such as stay-at-home orders, school closures, mask mandates, and travel restrictions. Utilizing the policy innovation and diffusion hazards model, we found that politics dominated the adoption and duration of mask mandates but that the adoption and duration of stay-at-home orders, school closures, and travel restrictions by state governors were determined by demographics and the death toll in each state. The South in this case, was not a distinctive region.

Recommended Citation

Aistrup, Joe; Chandel, Deepika; and Morris, John C. (2024) "State-Level Responses to the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Comprehensive Examination of Policy Adoption in the South vs Non-South States," Journal of Political Science: Vol. 52: No. 1, Article 2.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.coastal.edu/jops/vol52/iss1/2