What is it about?

In this paper, we assess the importance of political leaders' cues (actions, statements, and so on) in people’s behavior. These cues are particularly important when the topic at hand is new and complex, like the Covid-19 pandemic. We study the case of Mexico, where his president received strong criticism at the beginning of the pandemic for his “relaxed” posture against the coming health crisis. Using electoral outcomes and a municipal-level mobility index from Facebook’s Movement Range Maps, we show that after the first press conference where his government declared mobility restrictions were not yet necessary – on March 13, 2020 – citizens' geographic mobility in pro‐government municipalities was higher than in cities where support for the president was less strong.

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Why is it important?

Governments play a key role in the fight against pandemics; they finance the development of vaccines and their distribution, they coordinate the efforts of diverse agencies, and they communicate to the public the best actions to take to mitigate the risks presented by the new disease. However, the success of social distancing policies depends largely on how much individuals decide to comply with these preventive measures. In this context, clear and coherent communication from leaders can be of paramount importance to convince the public to adopt best practices to avoid the spread of a new and contagious disease.

Perspectives

I hope this article helps people realize the importance of communication in situations that require global cooperation. I think it shows just how dangerous misinformation can be, and perhaps we should all be more careful when processing new information. As for politicians and other leaders, it adds to the vast evidence on the responsibility they have with the public.

Luciano Ayala
Universidad de las Americas Puebla

Read the Original

This page is a summary of: Setting an example: Political leaders' cues and compliance with health policies in the early stages of the Covid‐19 pandemic in Mexico, Latin American Policy, October 2021, Wiley,
DOI: 10.1111/lamp.12223.
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