What challenges does the COVID-19 pandemic crisis impose on public policy studies as a trans-discipline

Abstract

How is it possible for democracies to effectively tackle crisis in general, COVID-19 pandemic crisis in specific? This is one of the most pressing but formidable challenges public policy studies as a trans-discipline is now facing. It goes without saying that institutional design/redesign for enhancing the possibility of utilization of every relevant expertise in the policy-making process is of vital need in order for democracies to effectively tackle crises that are wicked in nature―being characterized by deep uncertainties, complexities, and the serious conflict of values―and ensure a sustainable future. What is further required of democracies, lest they should degenerate into sheer tyranny of myopic mass, is the existence, and widely acknowledged authority, of quality political leaders or “central minds of government” (Dror) endowed with the robust will and capacities for skillfully utilizing and staging relevant experts, thereby weaving a better future.

People almost all over the world have been forced to live more or less with Corona for the last seven odd months. The spread of the COVID-19 pandemic and its casualties vary from country and country. The type of political regimes, be they liberal democratic or authoritarian, does not seem to make that much difference in this respect. What seem to us by far the most critical element, besides political culture, working environment, and the way of life (especially social distancing), is the “style”―or, more accurately, “quality”― of leadership. The kind of leadership we Japanese need most now is the very opposite of Prime Minister Abe’s leadership (or absence thereof). What is most required of national leaders in times of crisis are: (1) having an unshakable belief that the task to effectively tackle crisis should not be totally entrusted either to the market mechanism or to the consensus (compromise)― building mechanism of democracy, but primarily rests with those in government; (2) the determination to take the initiative in persuading a wide range of political actors, including politicians endowed with formal power for policy-making and high-ranking bureaucrats endowed with formal authority for policy implementations, to support government actions for tackling crisis; (3) the determination to invest a critical mass of resources and efforts sufficient to effectively tackle crisis; (4) the will and capacity for promptly adapting to changes in the policy environment and newly discovered facts; (5) will and capacity for systemic thinking; (6) the quality crisis communication skills; (7) the will to achieve accountability, that is, to perform their political duty to the best of their ability with clear and evidence-based explanations.