The most significant pandemic of our lifetime arrived as the United States was experiencing three major societal trends: a growing divide between partisans of the left and right, decreasing trust in many institutions, and a massive splintering of the information environment. COVID-19 did not cause any of this, but these forces fueled the country’s divided response. A Pew Research Center survey conducted in October 2024 found that nearly three-quarters of U.S. adults (72%) say the pandemic did more to drive the country apart than to bring it together. Fundamental differences arose between Americans over what we expect from our government, how much tolerance we have for health risks, and which groups and sectors to prioritize in a pandemic. Many of these divides continue to play out in the nation’s politics today.
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