Covid-19 and the future of democracy

Abstract:

Democracy has been in recession for over a decade and many fear that Covid-19 will accelerate this trend. This column analyses the stringency and effectiveness of various countries’ policy responses to Covid-19. While autocratic regimes tend to take more stringent policy measures, such measures tend to be less effective in reducing mobility in autocratic countries compared to democracies. Comparing countries with a collectivist versus an individualist culture shows that the former have been more successful in taking measures to reduce mobility.