Trust is up as Trump is out

Resonate’s latest COVID-19 and Emerging Trends Flash Survey data reveal that Americans are placing more trust in the Federal Government and its ability to effectively address a crisis.

Source: Resonate COVID-19 and Emerging Trends Report, Wave 12, February 2021

In early January, our data showed that over 27% of Americans strongly distrusted the Federal Government, when thinking about COVID-19. Fast forward to mid-February and that strong distrust has dropped to 19%.

We also see a rise in Americans’ overall trust in the Federal Government from January to February, with nearly 11% indicating a general increase in trust.

Source: Resonate COVID-19 and Emerging Trends Report, Wave 12, February 2021

When looking at how Americans perceive the Federal Government’s effectiveness in addressing a crisis — regarding the coronavirus situation specifically — we see similar trends. There was nearly a 13% drop in Americans who strongly disagree that the Federal Government has been effective and a nearly 11% increase among those who agree.

How to keep up with Americans’ trust in government in real-time and at scale

As millions of Americans get vaccinated, state economies re-open, and legislative politics return to business as usual, you must understand how current events shift Americans’ trust levels, opinions, and behaviors.

Continuously monitoring how Americans feel about and place trust in their government, especially in times of crisis, is critical for political and advocacy campaigns’ ability to resonate with target audiences. Access to fresh data affords campaigns this luxury of watching sentiment changes happen in real-time, at scale.

Down to the individual level, campaigns can now tap into how niche online audiences feel about their government and key legislative issues on any given day — and message accordingly. At Resonate, we help campaigns craft that messaging by providing a 360-degree political profile that reveals ‘why’ individuals currently feel the way they do.

Fresh, granular insights go deeper than approval ratings

For starters, a hyper-polarized electorate that’s become trapped in partisan media bubbles has all but rendered traditional insights like “Approval Ratings” useless. Gone are the days where the other side gives an incoming administration a fair shake — new incumbent honeymoon periods are a thing of the past. Using just approval-style insights, you’re likely just analyzing and targeting by party affiliation.

However, if you were running a campaign for mayor or governor, fresh data can tell you:

• How the electorate feels about their local or state government in moments of crisis
• Who are likely voters that trust the government?
• Who are persuadable voters who believe the government has been ineffective in solving a crisis?
• What demographic and psychographic insights are informing these positions – are there any trends?

Spotlight on New York: Trust in government at the local level

New York has been in the political spotlight for much of the last year. From the sheer number of COVID-19 cases, political turmoil between President Trump and Governor Cuomo, to Cuomo’s recent allegations of harassment and mishandling of the coronavirus for allegedly underreporting nursing home deaths. There’s a lot of crisis in the Empire State…

Source: the Resonate Ignite Platform™

The AI-driven Resonate Ignite Platform™ shows that, compared to the average American, New Yorkers are 39% more likely to believe their local and state government is good in a crisis.

Let’s take a closer look at the New Yorkers who are applauding their local and state governments’ response to crisis.

The majority are Democrats at 53%, we also see Republicans or Independents encompass 43% of this audience. Given the partisan politics of the day, that’s a relatively even split. And as a whole, this audience is also much more likely to be frequent voters compared to your average New Yorker.

Source: the Resonate Ignite Platform™

These New York frequent voters are psychologically driven by proving their competency and skills. Our data also show they most value maintaining a good public image and safety in their community and nation. This is a group that takes themselves and their safety seriously, and their local and state leaders have won their support during these hard times.

Source: the Resonate Ignite Platform™

The segment analyzed above is just one of the thousands of micro-segmented audiences that Resonate clients can analyze and target immediately. Think about how this data would shape your audience segmentation, targeting, and messaging strategies. Are you reaching the right audience with the right message?

A campaign driven by the right insights will have your candidate emerging as a leader right off the bat.

If you’re wondering:

• Where do the Americans I’m trying to reach stand when it comes to trust in government?
• Who are the voters on the other side who may be feeling let down by the opposition in power – and how can I win their hearts and minds?

We are here to help. Request a demo or give us a call at 855.855.4320.

For more of our latest insights, download our just-released report: COVID-19 and Emerging Trends Report, Wave 12, February 2021: The Race to Keep Up with a New Reality.