The Politics of Pandemics

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has colored the politics of 2020 from international to domestic, and the responses by countries have been politicized and limited by various actors. Regimes, both democratic and not, are using the chaotic pandemic environment to consolidate power under the executive, control the masses through decree, and shifting towards national and power bloc supply chains from the international supply chain that has been for all nations in the era of globalization and immediately after. This chapter will provide insight into how various nation-states are using nationalism to combat the pandemic, including the United States, United Kingdom, Chile, Russia, and Hungary. The chapter highlights the availability of the internet and social media platforms to spread mis- and dis-information that can hinder the work of a legitimate government attempting to respond earnestly and effectively to the pandemic.