Pavlos Vasilopoulos
In research monitoring public attitudes during the Covid-19 pandemic, Pavlos Vasilopoulos, Haley McAvay, Sylvain Brouard, and Martial Foucault found that public commitment to civil liberties is highly volatile, especially when fear prevails. This, they argue, should worry proponents of democracy Restriction of civil liberties under Covid The Covid-19 pandemic brought unprecedented restrictions to civil liberties […] Read more
Clareta Treger
In a study of public attitudes towards government paternalism, Clareta Treger finds that, when it comes to their own safety and health, individuals prefer coercive government policies over nudges that steer them towards welfare-enhancing behaviour. This should be taken into consideration when devising strategies to mitigate COVID-19 and future crises. Read more
Trym Nohr Fjørtoft
Have we had enough of experts? Covid-19 revealed how expertise doesn't necessarily translate into public acceptance of the right to make decisions in the public interest. Trym Nohr Fjørtoft and Asimina Michailidou explore the conditions under which expert agencies secure public legitimacy. Their conclusion? It's about striking the right balance Read more
Michael Hameleers
Michael Hameleers explains his team's experimental results: that COVID-19 disinformation is most credible – and dangerous – when it stays close to objective facts. This in turn has implications for how disinformation can be countered. Read more
Valesca Lima
The advance of left-wing, progressive parties in Latin America is driven by the mismanagement of the pandemic, the economic crisis, and the failure of right-wing populism in the region, observes Valesca Lima Read more
Rongxin Li
China has adopted a zero-case approach to the coronacrisis. But, writes Rongxin Li, China’s policies, while claiming to be in the interests of its citizens, show a lack of democratic anchoring, sacrificing civil rights and procedural justice Read more
Ruairidh Brown
Sovereignty is typically perceived to lie with those who can provide protection. Ruairidh Brown considers how the pandemic has tested and challenged the supra-national, national and sub-national levels in terms of the exercise of sovereign power. What might be the implications of these developments in the future? Read more
Balázs Böcskei
Balázs Böcskei and Eszter Farkas analyse the influence of partisan alignment on public health issues related to coronavirus. Their findings suggest that even in such a highly polarised country as Hungary, the significance of the pandemic over time is suppressing the influence of party alignment on Covid-related issues Read more