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COVID-19 and the policy sciences: initial reactions and perspectives

Author

Listed:
  • Christopher M. Weible

    (University of Colorado Denver)

  • Daniel Nohrstedt

    (Uppsala University)

  • Paul Cairney

    (University of Stirling)

  • David P. Carter

    (University of Utah)

  • Deserai A. Crow

    (University of Colorado Denver)

  • Anna P. Durnová

    (Institut für Höhere Studien - Institute for Advanced Studies)

  • Tanya Heikkila

    (University of Colorado Denver)

  • Karin Ingold

    (University of Bern
    Eawag)

  • Allan McConnell

    (University of Sydney)

  • Diane Stone

    (Central European University)

Abstract

The world is in the grip of a crisis that stands unprecedented in living memory. The COVID-19 pandemic is urgent, global in scale, and massive in impacts. Following Harold D. Lasswell’s goal for the policy sciences to offer insights into unfolding phenomena, this commentary draws on the lessons of the policy sciences literature to understand the dynamics related to COVID-19. We explore the ways in which scientific and technical expertise, emotions, and narratives influence policy decisions and shape relationships among citizens, organizations, and governments. We discuss varied processes of adaptation and change, including learning, surges in policy responses, alterations in networks (locally and globally), implementing policies across transboundary issues, and assessing policy success and failure. We conclude by identifying understudied aspects of the policy sciences that deserve attention in the pandemic’s aftermath.

Suggested Citation

  • Christopher M. Weible & Daniel Nohrstedt & Paul Cairney & David P. Carter & Deserai A. Crow & Anna P. Durnová & Tanya Heikkila & Karin Ingold & Allan McConnell & Diane Stone, 2020. "COVID-19 and the policy sciences: initial reactions and perspectives," Policy Sciences, Springer;Society of Policy Sciences, vol. 53(2), pages 225-241, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:policy:v:53:y:2020:i:2:d:10.1007_s11077-020-09381-4
    DOI: 10.1007/s11077-020-09381-4
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Zhang, Junyi & Hayashi, Yoshitsugu & Frank, Lawrence D., 2021. "COVID-19 and transport: Findings from a world-wide expert survey," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 103(C), pages 68-85.
    2. Hu, Chenxi & Zhang, Jun & Yuan, Hongxia & Gao, Tianlu & Jiang, Huaiguang & Yan, Jing & Wenzhong Gao, David & Wang, Fei-Yue, 2022. "Black swan event small-sample transfer learning (BEST-L) and its case study on electrical power prediction in COVID-19," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 309(C).
    3. Lihuan Guo & Wei Wang & Yenchun Jim Wu, 2023. "What Do Scholars Propose for Future COVID-19 Research in Academic Publications? A Topic Analysis Based on Autoencoder," SAGE Open, , vol. 13(2), pages 21582440231, June.
    4. Elhadad, Sharon & Sommer, Udi, 2022. "Policy diffusion in federal systems during a state of emergency: diffusion of COVID-19 statewide lockdown policies across the United States," Studia z Polityki Publicznej / Public Policy Studies, Warsaw School of Economics, vol. 9(1), pages 1-28, May.
    5. Li, Tao & Rong, Lili & Zhang, Anming, 2021. "Assessing regional risk of COVID-19 infection from Wuhan via high-speed rail," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 106(C), pages 226-238.
    6. Colin C. H. Law & Rungkaew Katekaew, 2022. "COVID-19: ASEAN Aviation Policy and the Significance of Intra-regional Connectivity," Journal of Asian Economic Integration, , vol. 4(1), pages 1-23, April.
    7. John Hogan & Michael Howlett & Mary Murphy, 2022. "Re-thinking the coronavirus pandemic as a policy punctuation: COVID-19 as a path-clearing policy accelerator [Punctuating the equilibrium: An application of policy theory to COVID-19]," Policy and Society, Darryl S. Jarvis and M. Ramesh, vol. 41(1), pages 40-52.
    8. Thang Muan Piang, 2022. "Working from home during the Covid-19 pandemic and its effect on employees and students," Eximia Journal, Plus Communication Consulting SRL, vol. 5(1), pages 195-240, July.
    9. Prakash Kumar Paudel & Rabin Bastola & Sanford D. Eigenbrode & Amaël Borzée & Santosh Thapa & Dana Rad & Jayaraj Vijaya Kumaran & Suganthi Appalasamy & Mohammad Mosharraf Hossain & Anirban Ash & Raju , 2022. "Perspectives of scholars on the origin, spread and consequences of COVID-19 are diverse but not polarized," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 9(1), pages 1-11, December.
    10. Anna P. Durnová & Christopher M. Weible, 2020. "Tempest in a teapot? Toward new collaborations between mainstream policy process studies and interpretive policy studies," Policy Sciences, Springer;Society of Policy Sciences, vol. 53(3), pages 571-588, September.
    11. Panagiota Xanthopoulou & Iosif Plimakis, 2021. "From New Public Management to Public Sector Management Reforms during the pandemic. The effects of Covid-19 on public management reforms and effectiveness," Technium Social Sciences Journal, Technium Science, vol. 26(1), pages 576-596, Decembrie.
    12. Marc Debus & Jale Tosun, 2021. "Political ideology and vaccination willingness: implications for policy design," Policy Sciences, Springer;Society of Policy Sciences, vol. 54(3), pages 477-491, September.
    13. Paola Mattei & Lorenzo Vigevano, 2021. "Contingency Planning and Early Crisis Management: Italy and the COVID-19 Pandemic," Public Organization Review, Springer, vol. 21(4), pages 647-663, December.
    14. Xiaoling Yuan & Caijuan Li & Kai Zhao & Xiaoyu Xu, 2021. "The Changing Patterns of Consumers’ Behavior in China: A Comparison during and after the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(5), pages 1-21, March.
    15. Atkinson, P. & Gobat, N. & Lant, S. & Mableson, H. & Pilbeam, C. & Solomon, T. & Tonkin-Crine, S. & Sheard, S., 2020. "Understanding the policy dynamics of COVID-19 in the UK: Early findings from interviews with policy makers and health care professionals," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 266(C).
    16. Witold Klaus, 2021. "The Porous Border Woven with Prejudices and Economic Interests. Polish Border Admission Practices in the Time of COVID-19," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-13, November.
    17. Ishani Mukherjee & M. Kerem Coban & Azad Singh Bali, 2021. "Policy capacities and effective policy design: a review," Policy Sciences, Springer;Society of Policy Sciences, vol. 54(2), pages 243-268, June.
    18. Van Thanh Vu, 2021. "Public Trust in Government and Compliance with Policy during COVID-19 Pandemic: Empirical Evidence from Vietnam," Public Organization Review, Springer, vol. 21(4), pages 779-796, December.
    19. Alan McNiven & John Harris, 2023. "Community and the voluntary sector in a pandemic: The significant role of a local football club," Local Economy, London South Bank University, vol. 38(4), pages 312-326, June.
    20. Miao, Qing & Schwarz, Susan & Schwarz, Gary, 2021. "Responding to COVID-19: Community volunteerism and coproduction in China," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 137(C).
    21. Ahmed Maged Nofal & Gabriella Cacciotti & Nick Lee, 2020. "Who complies with COVID-19 transmission mitigation behavioral guidelines?," Post-Print hal-02962370, HAL.
    22. Mingniu Dong & Cheng Zhou & Zhenhua Zhang, 2022. "Analyzing the Characteristics of Policies and Political Institutions for the Prevention and Control Governance of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Evidence from China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(17), pages 1-23, September.
    23. Dörr, Julian Oliver & Kinne, Jan & Lenz, David & Licht, Georg & Winker, Peter, 2021. "An integrated data framework for policy guidance in times of dynamic economic shocks," ZEW Discussion Papers 21-062, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research.

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