Difference between revisions of "2305: Coronavirus Polling"
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− | |{{w|Tom Hanks}} is a universally beloved actor, famous for his many starring roles, including in ''{{w|Forrest Gump}}'', ''{{w|Apollo 13}}'', and ''{{w|Saving Private Ryan}}''. In March 2020, Hanks announced that he had tested positive for COVID-19 in Australia. He recovered from the virus in mid-March. He became one of the first famous people to come forth and tell he was infected. This may be the reason he was included in | + | |{{w|Tom Hanks}} is a universally beloved actor, famous for his many starring roles, including in ''{{w|Forrest Gump}}'', ''{{w|Apollo 13}}'', and ''{{w|Saving Private Ryan}}''. In March 2020, Hanks announced that he had tested positive for COVID-19 in Australia. He recovered from the virus in mid-March. He became one of the first famous people to come forth and tell he was infected. This may be the reason he was included in Randall's line-up of polls rather than any other similarly famous actor, although the poll itself was from 2018, long before the COVID-19 outbreak. The poll result thus reflects his general popularity, rather than his part of the COVID-19 response. |
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Revision as of 13:43, 12 May 2020
Explanation
This explanation may be incomplete or incorrect: Created by an ONLINE POLL. Explanations are needed for each poll. Do NOT delete this tag too soon. If you can address this issue, please edit the page! Thanks. |
This comic, another comic in the series of comics related to the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, compares opinion polling of COVID-19 related topics to polling of other, mostly unrelated topics (with the exception of Tom Hanks, who had the virus in Australia, which may be the reason he was chosen over other actors here). Opinion among Americans is remarkably unanimous on necessary measures concerning the COVID-19 pandemic, at least as asked in the polls (different people may have different ideas of what they consider "big sporting events" or "damage to the economy"). To put this unanimity in perspective, polls on other topics are shown with similar but slightly smaller high percentages of unanimity but on extremely uncontroversial questions[citation needed] like liking apple pie or Tom Hanks, or the importance of elections to democracy.
The title text refers to the chapter "How To Win an Election" in Munroe's book How To: Absurd Scientific Advice for Common Real-World Problems, in which a similar set of near-unanimous survey questions are shown for prospecting candidates to support, or, alternately, oppose, thus guaranteeing their popularity or lack thereof. To see what this politician's speeches might have looked like, we can look at FiveThirtyEight's "perfect stump speeches" that espouse only opinions held by a majority of Republicans or Democrats.
The polls cited in this comic are all linked at http://xkcd.com/2305/sources.
Percentage | Poll question | Explanation |
---|---|---|
COVID-19 related polls | ||
86% | "Stay-at-home orders are responsible government policies that are saving lives" rather than "an over-reaction" | Due to the easy spread of COVID-19, many US states enacted "stay-at-home orders", which require residents to stay at home, except for "essential" tasks or working in "essential" businesses. The definition of "essential" has varied from state to state. While the stay-at-home orders have reduced cases of COVID-19[citation needed], they have also disrupted businesses and livelihoods, particularly in the service economy (which employs the majority of Americans). Some Americans have opined that the "cure" is worse than the disease, but according to this poll, that encompasses only 14% of them at most. |
85% | Opposition to reopening schools | Most primary and secondary schools have been closed due to the pandemic, with some of them instead using online/virtual instruction. Many universities have also had limited in-person instruction, and some have closed dormitories and other facilities. This poll indicates that most Americans agree with the school closures for the sake of public health, and are concerned about reopening schools too early. |
91% | Opposition to resuming big sporting events | Sporting events have been largely cancelled, with only a few sporting leagues remaining open. |
85% | Trust in local health officials and health care workers | Health officials have been providing guidelines for how to "reopen" the United States. Most Americans seem to trust their local health officials to understand the situation in their area and make good decisions, although according to the same poll, they do not trust the federal government nearly as much (66% of Republicans, 28% of Democrats). Meanwhile, health care workers have been lauded as heroes for their work to save people affected by COVID-19, often at their own risk of infection. |
93% | Trying to maintain 6-foot distances while in public | A six-foot distance between people has been recommended by the CDC, as a way to prevent the spread of the virus. The "social distance zone" has also been referenced in 2286: 6-Foot Zone. |
81% | Americans should continue to social distance even if it means continued damage to the economy | Due to various factors, the world economy has entered a global economic recession. This poll question indicates that many Americans are more concerned about defeating the virus, even at significant damage to the American economy. |
Other polls | ||
81% | Enjoy apple pie | Apple pie is an unofficial symbol of the United States and is considered one of America's favorite desserts. |
76% | Feel positively about kittens | Who doesn't like kittens? 24% of Americans, apparently. |
84% | Have a favorable impression of Tom Hanks | Tom Hanks is a universally beloved actor, famous for his many starring roles, including in Forrest Gump, Apollo 13, and Saving Private Ryan. In March 2020, Hanks announced that he had tested positive for COVID-19 in Australia. He recovered from the virus in mid-March. He became one of the first famous people to come forth and tell he was infected. This may be the reason he was included in Randall's line-up of polls rather than any other similarly famous actor, although the poll itself was from 2018, long before the COVID-19 outbreak. The poll result thus reflects his general popularity, rather than his part of the COVID-19 response. |
89% | Fair elections are important to democracy | |
86% | Feel positively toward Betty White | Betty White is a beloved actress who was 98 years old at the time of publishing. She is known for her many television roles, including in The Mary Tyler Moore Show and The Golden Girls. |
86% | Do not trust Kim Jong-Un to do the right thing | Kim Jong-Un is the dictator of North Korea at the time of publishing. Kim, along with his predecessors, is considered an enigmatic leader and unpredictable. |
64% | Concerned about "murder hornets" | The Asian giant hornet, nicknamed the "murder hornet", is a large hornet native to Asia. It was found in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States in late 2019, but its discovery was widely publicized May 2020. The murder hornet was given its nickname due to its painful sting, and its predation of honey bees. |
Transcript
- [A panel only with text. At the top there is three paragraphs of explanatory text. Below that is a paragraph in smaller gray font with link to sources. Below that there are two columns of poll results, each with a heading. Six polls in the left and seven polls in the right column. Instead of a bullet list, each poll has it's percent that agrees given to the left of the statement, which is thus aligned to the right of this percentage. At the end of each statement there is a reference in brackets in gray font.]
- It's hard to get people to agree on anything in polls.
- But we agree about the coronavirus.
- Here's how Americans feel about COVID-19, along with other topics that get similar levels of agreement for comparison.
- Compiled with help from HuffPost polling editor Ariel Edwards-Levy. Sources: xkcd.com/2305/sources
- [Left column:]
- Recent coronavirus polls
- 86% say "stay-at-home orders are responsible government policies that are saving lives" rather than "an over-reaction" (ABC/Ipsos)
- 85% oppose reopening schools (NPR/Marist)
- 91% oppose resuming big sporting events (NPR/M.)
- 85% trust local health officials and health care workers (Axios/Ipsos)
- 93% are trying to maintain 6-foot distances while in public (Axios/Ipsos)
- 81% say Americans should continue to social distance for as long as is needed to stop the Coronavirus even if it means continued damage to the economy (Politico/Morning Consult)
- [Right column:]
- Other polls
- 81% enjoy apple pie (HuffPost/YouGov)
- 76% feel positively about kittens (HuffPost/YouGov)
- 84% have a favorable impression of Tom Hanks (Ipsos 2018)
- 89% say fair elections are important to democracy (Pew)
- 86% feel positively toward Betty White (Ipsos 2011)
- 86% do not trust Kim Jong-Un to do the right thing (Pew 2019)
- 64% are concerned about the emergence of "murder hornets" (YouGov)
Discussion
Wow am I first? If you want to get the public disunited, wait till you start to try to lift lockdown. Everyone has a different opinion of what to do first and when to do it! From Wales (Dis-UK) RIIW - Ponder it (talk) 20:14, 11 May 2020 (UTC)
Worth mentioning is the the last COVID poll referenced [1] is actually a month old as of the publication of this comic ("The poll was conducted April 10-12" - whereas the comic is dated May 11.) I suspect the 81% number has shifted in the time since that poll data was current.172.69.68.157 20:28, 11 May 2020 (UTC)MeZimm
Ummm... "...is remarkably unanimous...", etc, in the description. Isn't that like "very unique" when there it isn't the only example? ("A large proportion are unanimous, with very few others who demur" or something?) 162.158.159.142 22:13, 11 May 2020 (UTC)
2011? Why would so many people felt positive about Betty White in 2011? -- Hkmaly (talk) 22:38, 11 May 2020 (UTC)
- Beats me, I had to come to explainxkcd to find out who Betty White was.
I'd just like to point out that this means 24% of people do not feel positively toward kittens, 11% of people think fair elections are unimportant for democracy, and 14% of people think Kim Jong-Un can be trusted to do the right thing. 108.162.215.216 22:52, 11 May 2020 (UTC)
- That isn't quite right: all those polls included a neutral option. --172.69.135.210 05:00, 12 May 2020 (UTC)
- And there could also have been and a I don't know option. Many people are allergic to cats, so I'm sure some of those would not like kittens even if they seem adorable in Facebook posts. --Kynde (talk) 07:01, 12 May 2020 (UTC)
- In the source for Kim Jong Un poll results, 9% DO trust him. 172.68.139.26 14:53, 18 May 2024 (UTC)
- One can also believe in fair elections being important for democracy, but think certain issues are too important to risk 'the people' deciding them, so there's no need for a fair election (and maybe you ought to actively avoid the risk). But only 'the other side' does that, of course. If your side does something that looks like it, it's just a righteous measure to make it fair again and stop Them cheating. 162.158.155.62 07:14, 12 May 2020 (UTC)
I removed the connection between Tom Hanks and COVID-19. While it is true that he was tested positive this had no influence on the poll cited which was in 2018. Therefore it's not relevant. Elektrizikekswerk (talk) 08:11, 12 May 2020 (UTC)
- I disagree about removing it. You are correct that the poll has nothing to do with COVID but that Randall include a poll on Tom Hanks one of the first famous people who came forth telling he had the disease may have been the reason he was included. I will reinsert it, and change to make it clear that this is why it is mentioned. --Kynde (talk) 08:16, 12 May 2020 (UTC)
- It might as well be a coincidence. And with these additions it's imho not only not needed for the explanation but needlessy convulted, too. Randall did randomly choose Tom Hanks before (see 2003 or 1948). Elektrizikekswerk (talk) 09:56, 12 May 2020 (UTC)
Yeah, but **whatabout** vi vs. emacs? Sunny Side Up vs. Over Easy? Laurel&Hardy vs. Abbott&Costello? Cellocgw (talk) 11:40, 13 May 2020 (UTC)
This is now the 25th comic about COVID-19 since the first comic in March. Wonder if he will continue to come back to this as long as there is a lock down in some parts of the US? --Kynde (talk) 14:34, 13 May 2020 (UTC)
Removed trolling unsigned posts containing people's opinions (and the responses). This is NOT a place to vent; it is a place to discuss whether the attached "explain xkcd" page is fully informative. ToolmakerSteve (talk) 23:30, 6 December 2020 (UTC)
The sentence "Or else that this vocal and demonstrative minority is almost the only group making their opinion public in such a newsworthy manner." seems unnecessary. Author has a history of using statistics to poke at ill-informed perceptions/beliefs; the previous sentence (... unrepresentative ...) is certainly what is going on. ToolmakerSteve (talk) 23:24, 6 December 2020 (UTC)