The COVID-19 pandemic represented a short-term shift in US social policy. Under the CARES Act and the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), the federal government prioritised households by raising the floor for child support and unemployment benefits, and restoring fiscal federalism by providing increased funds to state and local governments. Our 2021 nationwide survey finds local governments with more citizen participation and Black Lives Matter protests plan to prioritise social equity investments, while those with more Trump voters plan to prioritise physical infrastructure with their ARPA funds. COVID-19 led to new policy approaches that expand government investment. While the federal changes for households (expanded unemployment insurance and child tax credits) ended in 2021, the increased aid to state and local governments continues. These have the potential to help reshape citizen expectations and repair federal–state–local relations.

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在 COVID-19 状态下挑战紧缩政策

COVID-19 大流行代表了美国社会政策的短期转变。根据 CARES 法案和美国救援计划法案 (ARPA)，联邦政府通过提高儿童抚养费和失业救济金的底线来优先考虑家庭，并通过向州和地方政府提供更多资金来恢复财政联邦制。我们 2021 年的全国性调查发现，公民参与度更高的地方政府和 Black Lives Matter 抗议活动计划优先考虑社会股权投资，而拥有更多特朗普选民的地方政府计划利用其 ARPA 资金优先考虑实体基础设施。COVID-19 导致了扩大政府投资的新政策方法。虽然针对家庭的联邦改革（扩大失业保险和儿童税收抵免）于 2021 年结束，但对州和地方政府的援助仍在继续增加。