COVID-19, economic anxiety, and support for international economic integration

There are growing concerns that the COVID-19 pandemic is strengthening nationalism around world by fueling discrimination, unilateralism, and economic crises. However, there have been few empirical analyses of effect on individuals’ level nationalism. Using evidence from two original surveys conducted in Canada 2019 2020, I show public support for international integration has increased rather than decreased since outbreak pandemic. The survey data point to anxiety induced as a key mechanism shaping attitudes towards integration. While existing literature found negative sentiment depresses integration, appears be positively related era. My findings therefore run counter current arguments about expectations based literature. Gaining better understanding relationship between opinion particularly important at time when cooperation needed address both its effects.