Good Democratic Governance Can Combat COVID-19

Some scholars argue that democracy is in crisis during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, successful cases such as New Zealand and Taiwan are often overlooked in these studies. These countries are often considered to have higher levels of government effectiveness. Using cross-national data from 148 countries, this study analyzed the impact of government effectiveness and its relationship with political regimes. The results revealed that democratic countries with higher government effectiveness can reduce COVID-19 cases and deaths. This study suggests that democratic countries need not give up freedom and need to improve government effectiveness to combat COVID-19.