Poll: Vaccine hesitancy at lowest level yet, thanks to mandates



The number of American adults who say they are not likely to get a coronavirus vaccine has fallen to the lowest levels yet, according to the Axios-Ipsos Coronavirus Index — a sign that the Delta variant, FDA approval of the Pfizer vaccine, and vaccine mandates are having the effect of convincing reluctant Americans to get their shots.

Only 1 in 5 Americans (20%) who responded to the survey now say they are not likely to get the coronavirus vaccine. Just 14% of survey respondents said they are not at all likely to get vaccinated, the lowest level of opposition the Axios-Ipsos poll has registered since it began surveying Americans on the vaccines.

The number of parents who say they are likely to have their children vaccinated has increased at the same time. Two-thirds of parents (68%) now say they are likely to have their children vaccinated or already have done so. Only 31% of parents said they were opposed to vaccinating their kids.

The largest driver of this shift in vaccine hesitancy appears to be private sector vaccine mandates. One in three unvaccinated Americans surveyed said full FDA approval of one or more coronavirus vaccines would make them more likely to take the vaccine. But 43% said they would be more likely to take the vaccine if their employer required it, a 10-point increase from a previous version of the survey from last month.

Survey respondents indicated that more employers are indeed requiring vaccination at their workplaces. Two weeks ago the survey found that 16% of respondents said vaccines were required at their workplaces, now that number has risen to 19%. Similarly, the number of people who said teachers or government workers where they live were being required to get the vaccine has risen from 34% two weeks ago to 40% now.

"Schools, organizations, companies, governments implementing mandates are forcing people to deal with them," Ipsos U.S. Public Affairs president Cliff Young told Axios. "That's what going on."

Overall, 72% of adults surveyed said they've already taken the vaccine and another 8% said they were likely to take it.

The remaining 20% that said they are not very likely (6%) or not at all likely (14%) to get vaccinated is the lowest level of opposition to the vaccines recorded by the poll, down from 34% in March and 23% even two weeks ago.

At the same time, concerns appear to be rising over the coronavirus. Three in five Americans (60%) say that returning to their pre-pandemic lifestyles right now would be a large or moderate risk, the highest level recorded since March.

Additionally, 78% of Americans are at least somewhat concerned about the COVID-19 outbreak at this time and 80% are concerned about the Delta variant spreading in the U.S.

As a consequence, some Americans are returning to masking and social distancing as precautionary measures against the COVID-19 spread. Half of Americans surveyed reported that they are staying home and avoiding others as much as possible. And 69% of Americans said they are using a mask some or all of the time.

Poll: Young Americans evenly split on views of capitalism; socialism growing more popular



Young Americans are now nearly evenly split on whether capitalism is a positive good, as socialism continues to grow in popularity among certain groups, according to a new Axios/Momentive poll.

The survey, which tracks shifting attitudes on the economy and perceptions of capitalism, shows that after the unprecedented government intervention in the U.S. economy during the COVID-19 pandemic, Americans of all political persuasions are re-evaluating their beliefs about capitalism.

Overall, a majority of Americans still have a positive view of capitalism (57%), while 36% say they have a negative view, a slight change from two years ago when a similar survey found a 61-36 split in January 2019.

The change is exclusively driven by young adults. In the newest poll, adults ages 18-34 are almost evenly divided between those who view capitalism positively (49%) and those who do not (46%). In the 2019 survey, there was a 20-point-gap in favor of capitalism (58% positive vs. 38% negative) among the same age group. Adults older than 35 have not changed their views in the past two years, and strong majorities view capitalism positively.

Generation Z is majority negative on capitalism. Only 42% of Americans ages 18-24 have a positive view of capitalism, and 54% reported having a negative view.

The partisan breakdown of the beliefs of younger Americans shows a growing skepticism of capitalism even among Republicans.

A surprising 66% of Republicans and those that lean toward the GOP have a positive view of capitalism, down from 81% in January 2019. A majority of younger Republicans, 56%, say the government should pursue policies that reduce the wealth gap. Two years ago, only 40% of Republicans under 35 said so.

Positive reactions to socialism have slightly increased. In 2019, just 39% of U.S. adults had a positive view of socialism. Today, that number has increased to 41%.

Socialism is viewed positively by 60% of black Americans, 49% of Hispanics, 45% of American women, and 33% of non-white Republicans. Just 48% of American women view capitalism positively.

These shifting attitudes present a messaging problem for those who support free markets. The survey results suggest that reflexive attacks on Democrats and President Joe Biden accusing the left of advancing a socialist agenda may not have the persuasive power they once held. The poll also challenges advocates for capitalism to better communicate their benefits, demonstrate how economic unfairness is not the result of a free market, and teach how socialism has failed and cannot address the problems many Americans see in the economy.

Axios poll: Republican voters stand by President Trump amid second impeachment



New polling suggests that the hopes of top Republicans who want President Donald Trump to go away forever are in vain as vast majorities of the base still support the outgoing president.

An Axios-Ipsos poll reported Wednesday found that Republicans across the nation are taking President Trump's side in the unfolding impeachment debate in Congress. A majority of Republicans believe Trump was right to challenge his election loss, don't blame him for the violence that occurred during the riots in the Capitol building on Jan. 6, and want him to be the 2024 Republican nominee for president.

The poll found that the GOP is divided, with 56% of Republican respondents identifying as "traditional" Republicans and 36% identifying as "Trump Republicans."

These factions have different opinions on the president, obviously.

Among traditional Republicans, 24% believe that Trump is to blame for promoting the unrest at the Capitol and should be immediately removed from office.

Only 1% of Trump Republicans think this. An overwhelming 91% of Trump Republicans support the president's efforts to challenge the election results, while only 46% of traditional Republicans say they support the president's election challenges.

Just 41% of traditional Republicans want Trump to be the 2024 GOP nominee; 94% of Trump Republicans want the president to run for office again in four years.

Overall, only 17% of Republicans think the president should be removed from office.

Axios pointed out that the polling explains why there were only 10 House Republicans to vote to impeach the president a second time, blaming him for inciting the violence in the Capitol. Most congressional Republicans are responding to how a significant portion of their base feels.

Offering some insight into why the Republican base opposes impeaching Trump, Ben Shapiro wrote the following in Politico's Playbook newsletter:

Opposition to impeachment comes from a deep and abiding conservative belief that members of the opposing political tribe want their destruction, not simply to punish Trump for his behavior. Republicans believe that Democrats and the overwhelmingly liberal media see impeachment as an attempt to cudgel them collectively by lumping them in with the Capitol rioters thanks to their support for Trump.

"The monopoly Trump's had on the Republican base for the last four years is a little more frayed than any time in recent history," pollster Chris Jackson, senior vice president for Ipsos Public Affairs, said. "A substantial chunk doesn't necessarily think their future goes with Donald Trump. The big question is, is having a small-but-committed base going to be more valuable than a large-but-less-committed base?"