Creating compliance in crisis: messages, messengers, and masking up in Britain

How do governments ensure public compliance with protective policies that restrict individual liberties during a crisis? In this article, the British public’s reaction to mask mandates Covid-19 pandemic is examined. We argue providing information about health risks makes people more willing comply and effectiveness of depends on source. This argument tested help aggregate opinion individual-level experimental data collected in UK 2020 we find adapted its willingness wear rapidly line government regulation. Moreover, results from survey experiment show simply risk sufficient elevate people’s masks. Interestingly, there no clear partisan divide comply, suggesting messages responsibility encourage individuals make sacrifices times crisis regardless which party they support.