Americans List Opening of Retail Stores, Churches as Top Priorities

As a majority of the United States sits at home under stay at home orders, a significant percentage of American citizens believe some of the restrictions should be lifted. Scott Rasmussen conducted a survey of 1,200 registered voters from April 9-11 to discover what Americans want to focus on opening first during re-opening efforts once the lockdown ends.

At the top of the priority list for many Americans was returning to small group gatherings with friends. Half of those surveyed said that people should be allowed to gather in each other’s homes in small groups immediately.

Churches and retail stores were tied for second on the list of priorities. Thirty-five percent said that churches, religious gatherings, and retail stores should open immediately. There were some partisan differences in these numbers, though. Forty-seven percent of Republicans believed re-opening religious services should be a top priority, compared to twenty-nine percent of Democrats.

Rasmussen believes the re-opening of retail stores is possibly related to the difficulty families are having finding items that they need. He said that many people “have experienced difficulties obtaining needed supplies during the pandemic–everything from food to health care items. Opening retail stores may be seen as a way to help address these concerns.”

Schools came in just below stores and churches. Thirty-one percent…