Scott Rasmussen's Number of the Day for February 2, 2021
The Number of the Day columns published on Ballotpedia reflect the views of the author.
February 2, 2021: The arrival of COVID-19 vaccines has dramatically decreased pessimism about the coronavirus pandemic. A Scott Rasmussen national survey conducted January 28-30 found that 33% of voters believe the worst of the pandemic is behind us, while 40% believe the worst is still to come.[1]
While the overall numbers still reflect a slightly pessimistic assessment, the numbers represent a remarkable turnaround since vaccine distribution has become a reality. Last October, just before the presidential election, 56% of voters believed the worst was yet to come. That pessimistic view grew to 68% just a few weeks after the election and remained above 60% for the rest of the year.[1]
So, the number with a pessimistic view has fallen 28 percentage points—from 68% to 40%—in just a couple of months.[1]
On the flip side, the number who believe the worst is behind us has nearly doubled—from 18% in late November to 33% in late January.[1]
Among the still relatively small number of voters who have already been vaccinated, a plurality (41%) now believes the worst is behind us.[1]
A plurality of Republicans (43%) now believes the worst is behind us, while a plurality of Democrats (48%) believes the worst is still to come.[1]
The table below highlights selected results showing trends over the past few months.[1][2]
| Worst of Pandemic is Behind Us | Worst of Pandemic is Still to Come | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan. 28-30 | 33% | 40% |
| Dec. 10-12 | 21% | 62% |
| Nov. 27-28 | 18% | 68% |
| Nov. 12-14 | 22% | 62% |
| Oct. 15-17 | 22% | 56% |
| Oct. 8-10 | 27% | 52% |
| Oct. 1-3 | 24% | 55% |
| Sept. 3-5 | 29% | 49% |
| Aug. 13-15 | 20% | 59% |
| July 23-25 | 15% | 63% |
| June 4-6 | 29% | 42% |
| April 9-11 | 16% | 60% |
Each weekday, Scott Rasmussen’s Number of the Day explores interesting and newsworthy topics at the intersection of culture, politics, and technology.
- February 1, 2021 -16 states lost population in 2020
- January 29, 2021 -68 percent of voters believe U.S. provides more freedom than other major nations
- January 28, 2021 -82 percent of voters disapprove of those who occupied the U.S. Capitol
- January 27, 2021 –37 states require masks in public spaces
- January 26, 2021 -29 executive orders issued by President Biden during first three days in office
- To see other recent numbers, check out the archive.
Scott Rasmussen’s Number of the Day is published by Ballotpedia weekdays at 8:00 a.m. Eastern. Click here to check out the latest update.
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Columns published on Ballotpedia reflect the views of the author.
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See also
- Scott Rasmussen's Number of the Day
- Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine distribution by state
- Presidential election, 2020
- Scott Rasmussen's Number of the Day for October 22, 2020
Footnotes
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