This book offers unique insights into how governments and governing systems, particularly in advanced economies, have responded to the immense challenges of managing the coronavirus pandemic and the ensuing disease COVID-19. Written by three eminent scholars in the field of the politics and policy of crisis management, it offers a unique ‘bird’s eye’ view of the immense logistical and political challenges of addressing a worst-case scenario that would prove the ultimate stress test for societies, governments, governing institutions and political leaders. It examines how governments and governing systems have (i) made sense of emerging transboundary threats that have spilled across health, economic, political and social systems (ii) mobilised systems of governance and often fearful and sceptical citizens (iii) crafted narratives amid high uncertainty about the virus and its impact and (iv) are working towards closure and a return to ‘normal’ when things can never quite be the same again. The book also offers the building blocks of pathways to future resilience. Succeeding and failing in all these realms is tied in with governance structures, experts, trust, leadership capabilities and political ideologies. The book appeals to anyone seeking to understand ‘what’s going on?’, but particularly academics and students across multiple disciplines, journalists, public officials, politicians, non-governmental organisations and citizen groups.
Author(s): Arjen Boin, Allan McConnell, Paul 't Hart
Publisher: Palgrave Pivot
Year: 2021
Language: English
Commentary: TruePDF
Pages: 137
City: Cham
Tags: Comparative Politics; Public Policy; Public Administration
Preface
Contents
List of Tables
1 The Year of the Unthinkable
Annus Horribilis
A Crisis Perspective on Pandemic Governance
The Unique Characteristics of the COVID-19 Crisis
Incubation and Rapid Escalation
A Solidarity Crisis
Multiple Domains, Multiple Crises
Resulting Challenges
How Did It Go? First Impressions
Our Systems Were Not Designed for Pandemics
Systems Were Stretched to Breaking Point
Controversy About Response Strategies
Success Stories
A Preview of the Book
Bibliography
2 What’s Going On?
A Sense-Making Nightmare
Detecting COVID-19: Common Challenges
Why Crises Are Easy to Miss
The Role of Experts
Fantasy Plans
Navigating Uncertainty: Science-Policy Interface at Knife’s Edge
The Precarious Politics of Sense-Making
Bibliography
3 Getting Things Done
When the Rule Book No Longer Works
Governance Challenges
First Responses
The Politics of Crisis Response
Governance Capacity and Legitimacy
Boosting Governance Capacity
Crafting Legitimate Responses
The Politics of Crisis Governance
Bibliography
4 Crafting Crisis Narratives
Constructing the Meaning of the COVID-19 Crisis
The Rise and Fall of Crisis Narratives
The Power of Words
Framing Contests
Winning Factors?
Making Meaning of COVID-19
A Long Rollercoaster Ride
Bibliography
5 Towards Closure
The Need for Closure
The Politics of Accountability
Pressure and Opportunities
Effects of the Accountability Process
The Politics of Learning
Learning Barriers
COVID’s Long Shadow and the Politics of Memory
Bibliography
6 Pathways to Resilience
Pivoting Forward
Overcoming Organized Blindness
Vigilant Decision-Making
Managing Fragmentation
Credible Crisis Narratives
Managing Collective Stress
What Matters Now
Bibliography
Index
