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The pre-pandemic political economy determinants of lockdown severity

Author

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  • Vincent Miozzi

    (Texas Tech University)

  • Benjamin Powell

    (Texas Tech University)

Abstract

We investigate the determinants of the severity of U.S. state-level lockdown regulations adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic. We employ a new measure of Lockdown Regulatory Freedom from Miozzi and Powell (Am J Econ Sociol, 2023b. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajes.12512 ) to investigate whether pre-pandemic measures of economic freedom, political variables, and measures of COVID-19 exposure and severity impacted the severity of subsequent lockdowns. Our main finding is that the severity of a state’s lockdown regulations were primarily determined by pre-pandemic levels of economic freedom and pre-existing political ideology, as measured by the share of votes for the 2016 Democrat presidential candidate.

Suggested Citation

  • Vincent Miozzi & Benjamin Powell, 2023. "The pre-pandemic political economy determinants of lockdown severity," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 197(1), pages 167-183, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:pubcho:v:197:y:2023:i:1:d:10.1007_s11127-023-01086-5
    DOI: 10.1007/s11127-023-01086-5
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Economic freedom; Pandemic; COVID-19; Lockdowns;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D70 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - General
    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health
    • H10 - Public Economics - - Structure and Scope of Government - - - General

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