Near Two Harbors, 34 structures burned and Highway 61 closed; in Crow Wing County, a 1,600-acre fire sparked evacuations

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Americans are generally skeptical of too much government intervention. Over the last three decades, the number of people saying they want the government to do less usually outnumbers those saying they want it to do more, according to 

The times when that hasn't been true or when that gap has shrunk have roughly coincided with times of national crisis. However, over the last several years, those saying government should do more to solve the country's problems has crept up to almost being on par with those saying government is doing too much.

People look to the government more during a crisis

And that was before the coronavirus pandemic. 

This is one of those times when government counts. This is when government is called upon to fill the gaps that individuals and private industry can't. Hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, economic and health crises — these are the times people especially depend on their government, and need it function properly. 

They also need to trust the information they're hearing, so there's no confusion. President Trump has struggled on this front. In an effort, he says, to tamp down potential hysteria and fear, Trump initially downplayed the coronavirus. 

"You have to understand, I'm a cheerleader for this country," Trump said earlier this month. "I don't want to create havoc and shock and everything else."

But the result has been that most Americans don't trust what he says about the coronavirus, according to the latest 

. The good news is Americans do trust what their local officials and government health experts are saying about the virus.

In general, do you trust what has been said about the coronavirus?

Trump and members of his coronavirus task force did not hold press briefings Saturday or Sunday this past weekend. That follows Friday's 

 that they're not worth the time and effort.

It remains to be seen whether the briefings return to their normal form Monday.

"It's more than stupid; it's dangerous." 

 Trump's effort to withhold funding from the World Health Organization and other steps his administration is reportedly taking to sideline the global health agency. 

Latest confirmed U.S. case and death totals:

When Is It Safe To Ease Social Distancing? Here's What One Model Says For Each State

 Researchers have suggested one standard: 1 new infection per million people in a given state. They estimate that states with this level of transmission should be able to keep outbreaks from flaring up even after people start mingling again, though the researchers stress that states would still need to limit large gatherings. 

'No Evidence' Yet That Recovered COVID-19 Patients Are Immune, WHO Says

"There is currently no evidence that people who have recovered from COVID-19 and have antibodies are protected from a second infection," the organization wrote.

NYC Poison Control Sees Uptick In Calls After Trump's Disinfectant Comments

New York City's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene said that in an 18-hour period ending at 3 p.m. Friday, the poison control center recorded 30 cases. That compares with only 13 cases for the same time frame one year ago. 

Science Becomes A Dividing Issue In Year Of Election And Pandemic

As COVID-19 takes over the political conversation, Americans' ambivalence about science — and experts in general — is likely to come to the forefront.  

Politics and Government News

Domenico Montanaro

Author

The coronavirus pandemic is an example of when Americans want competence from their government at all levels and need to be able to trust their leaders.

Americans are generally skeptical of government, but want it to intervene in a crisis

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